THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), in partnership with Premium Asphalt and T/R Construction, will host their inaugural inter-zone 2020 knockout tournament for 20 teams in the Lower/ Central Corentyne area.

The launch, which took place last Friday, will see No1 Road, Courtland, Fyrish, Fyrish Road, Chesney, Kilcoy, Jai Hind, Albion Open, Belvedere United, Tamarind Root, Rose Hall Tigers, Port Mourant, Tain Block 4, Whim-Kildonan, Kennard Memorial and Ramnarine Memorial doing battle.

Powerhouses, Rose Hall Town Bakewell and Albion, have been debarred from the tournaments as an encouragement to the other teams. Matches would start at 13:00hrs while captains, who fail to be at the venue by 12.45PM, would forfeit their rights to the toss. All other players will be granted half an hour after the scheduled start of play.

Teams have to submit at least fifteen players and they would only be allowed to represent one club in the calendar year unless permission is obtained from the BCB. Only players living in the sub-zone are allowed to play unless they have a record of playing for other clubs.

BCB President Hilbert Foster and Chairman of the BCB Competition Committee, Leslie Solomon, at the launching at the Area H Ground, urged the club to invest in youth development if Berbice Cricket is to develop.

Each team shall have to play one Under-19 player in their final eleven. Foster cautioned the teams that the BCB would only assist those who have a junior team. Solomon spoke at length about the importance of team discipline as the BCB intends to take a hard stance on indiscipline.

Solomon also urged the teams to look around their villages and to get youths involved in playing the game. Foster expressed gratitude to the Management of Premium Asphalt and T/R Construction for joining the long list of BCB sponsors and reassured them that the tournament would be well organised and promoted.

Mr. Tevindra Jagdeo, the sponsor, stated that he and his brother are very pleased with the remarkable work the BCB has done and, as such, decided to come forward. He expressed confidence the tournament would be successful and would achieve its objective of promoting cricket at the grassroot level.