–Historic Primary School tournament for 14 schools

CRICKET action across secondary schools in Berbice is expected to return soon, as the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) announced their upcoming venture across the Ancient County.
“Berbice is known the world over for producing outstanding cricketers, and we owe it to the next generation to continue the tradition.

“The BCB, under my leadership, is fully committed to lifting our cricket to its highest ever level, and it would be our privilege to work with you in this noble quest,” said BCB President Hilbert Foster, when he and a delegation from the Board met with sports teachers of primary and secondary schools in the West Berbice area.

Foster was accompanied by Secretary Angela Haniff; Chairman of the Selection Committee Balram Samaroo; Chairman of the Competition Committee Leslie Soloman; West Berbice President David Black; and Coach Shamal Angel.

The teachers were informed that the proactive cricket board would be reintroducing cricket into secondary schools, with at least two tournaments in 2023, while, for the first time in its 84-year history, the BCB would be hosting an under- 11 inter-primary school tournament.

Six secondary schools in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) will participate in the thirty-over-per-side tournament, while fourteen primary schools will be involved in a ten-over tape ball tournament from early next month.

Foster, who was on his seventy-ninth visit to the sub-association since his election in early 2018, disclosed that the secondary school tournament would be for Under-19 players born on or after September 1, 2004, while the cutoff date for the primary school Under-11 tournament would be September 1, 2012.
Students shall have an attendance rate of 75 per cent to play.

The BCB, late last year, had provided the six secondary schools with cricket uniforms, gear and cricket balls to prepare for the expected tournament, while the 14 primary schools would shortly receive two bats and a set of tape-flannel balls to assist them to play.

Each primary school would be required to select four females in their 14-man squad, while two will have to be selected in the final eleven. One of the ten overs shall also be bowled by a female.
Chairman of Competition Leslie Soloman explained that the winner of both the primary and secondary levels would go on to play the champions from Lower Corentyne, New Amsterdam/Canje, and Upper Corentyne to determine the overall Berbice champion.

The different winners would each receive vouchers to purchase stationery and other needed items for the schools. Foster also informed the teachers that the BCB would also be providing copies of its historic coaching manual and youth information booklet to the schools to assist them to properly prepare their students for the tournaments.

The selection committee, under the chairmanship of Samaroo, a former national junior cricketer, along with the BCB coaches working in Region Five will select a special 24-member squad for both levels. A panel of coaches would work along with the selected for two days to assist in their development.

The secondary school tournament would be sponsored by Latchman Construction and Landscaping Inc., while the primary school would be sponsored by Caribbean Motors and Dhanpaul Sukhra.