HILBERT Foster, head of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), recently urged players across the Ancient County to take full advantage of the ongoing developmental drive.

“Never in the history of Guyana has a cricket board worked as hard to make a positive difference as we in the Berbice Cricket Board have done over the last three years. My executives are fully committed to lifting our cricket even higher and I would like to urge you to take care of every donation you receive from us but, most importantly, use it for the intended purpose.”

Those were the words of Hilbert Foster as he and his executives handed over first aid kits and coaching manuals to cricket clubs with junior sections and first division teams.
The meeting was held at the Area H Ground and was attended by representatives of twenty of the twenty four clubs invited.

Foster noted that since his election in early 2018, clubs in the county have benefitted from over fifteen million dollars worth of items as the board was committed to assisting all clubs to fulfil their mandates and also to allow all youths the same opportunities to fulfil their potentials.

Clubs with the junior section each received a first aid kit along with copies of the BCB historic coaching manual while the remaining ones who play at the first division level carried home a kit.

Foster stated that the board was fully aware of the ongoing pandemic and had earlier in the year donated over five hundred thousand dollars worth of protective items including face masks, face shields and hand sanitizers to junior clubs .

The first-aid kits were donated to the BCB by businessman Ricky Deonarine of the popular 4 R Bearing Store on Duncan Street , Georgetown and are intended to assist clubs to render assistance on the spot for players.

The coaching manuals would be given to individual players to allow them to work on their game in the safety of their homes and the BCB president warned the club executives to make sure that follow-up is done on the players.

The BCB, he noted, is doing all in its power to assist and now it is up to them to play their part if the legacy of Kanhai and Butcher is to be upheld.

The BCB, he disclosed, would update the manual on an annual basis and clubs would be provided with copies on a regular basis.

Noting that several promising players might have quit the game over the last two years due to the pandemic, Foster urged the clubs to seek out new players and even encourage others to return as the future of Berbice cricket is exciting.

Once the permission is granted for a restart of the Berbice cricket season, the board has plans to host over thirty tournaments at the junior, female, intermediate, second, internal zone and first divisions.

Foster also discussed some upcoming activities of the proactive cricket board including social skills seminars for junior players, cricket academies in four sub associations, distribution of cricket gears for junior players, production of a coaching manual, 2021 Christmas Charity Programme and more educational grants to assist players in the pursuit of an educational career.