The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has launched another cricket tournament as it continues to prepare for another restart of the 2021 Berbice cricket season.
The board had placed a hold on its 2021 cricket season after the recent hike in COVID-19 cases in Guyana. The BCB had started the season in early February and was able to successfully complete 19 finals within two months before closing down once again.
BCB President Hilbert Foster recently visited the popular J Supermarket, located at Strand, New Amsterdam, to formally launch the tournament and disclosed that it would start as soon as the board was satisfied that the COVID situation has improved.
The tournament would be contested by 14 teams in the New Amsterdam/Canje and East Bank Canje sub-areas. The teams would include Rose Hall Canje, Goed Bananen Land, Young Warriors, Tucber Park, Mt Sinai, Pathfinder, Kendall Union Sports Club, Kendall Union Sorts Stars, Edinburg, East Bank Blazers and Guymine.
The tournament is one of three that the teams in the areas would be involved in along with dozens more organised across the entire county.
It would be played on a knockout format, while all teams are expected to closely follow the COVID-19 guidelines laid down by the BCB.
These would include no spectators in the venue, social distancing, regular cleaning of hands and the wearing of face masks while in the pavillion.
All teams are also reminded that the BCB in 2021 would be enforcing its rule on white clothing during matches while any team that grants a walkover would be banned for the rest of the season.
Players debarred from Second Division tournaments would not be allowed to play. Among the players on the debarred list are Shimron Hetmeyer, Nial Smith and Romario Shepherd.
BCB Public Relations Officer, Simon Naidu, expressed thanks to the management and staff of the supermarket for their sponsorship.
Naidu disclosed that the BCB in 2021 had committed itself to organising at least three tournaments in each of the five sub-associations in the county and was on target to do so.
He noted that the work of the BCB under its current leadership has enabled it to attract sponsorship very easily. Jason Sripal, owner of the supermarket, expressed happiness to be associated with the BCB and expressed satisfaction with the ongoing progress of the game in the county.
J Supermarket, Sripal noted, strongly believes in giving back and fulfilling its corporate duties. Sripal, a former national junior player, expressed confidence that the tournament would be a success. (BCB Press Release)
