The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday launched a three-day Inter-Zone cricket competition with the emphasis being placed on improving batting techniques among Berbice cricketers ahead of several national tournaments.
Berbice Cricket Board President Keith Foster made the disclosure at the Launch of the Banks Light Beer-sponsored, three-day competition at Port Mourant Community Centre ground yesterday.
“Three-day cricket will help our batters to improve the art of batting and we are thankful to Banks DIH for coming on board to sponsor this tournament which will also be used to select players for the forthcoming Inter-County tournament,” Foster added.
He said that it was historic that the tournament was launched at Port Mourant ground, regarded as the Mecca of cricket in Berbice.
He said some of the leading cricketers in Berbice and Guyana had played at that ground and he urged the players to make use of the opportunity presented to them in the form of the three-day format.
According to Foster, Berbice has produced some of the leading players in the country and he disclosed that 10 players from the Ancient County are currently on the Guyana team competing in the WICB limited overs tournament in Jamaica.
He urged the players to maintain their supremacy of cricket in Guyana.
Banks DIH Communica-tions Manager Troy Peters said that the competition would help to foster the development of cricket in Berbice and by extension Guyana.
According to Peters, Berbice has produced some of the leading cricketers in Guyana including Rohan Kanhai, Roy Fredericks, Alvin Kallicharan, Joe Solomon and Basil Butcher, and of late Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Jonathan Foo and the Crandon brothers Esaun and Royston.
He said Banks DIH was extremely pleased to be associated with the tournament adding that his company will continue to assist the work of the Berbice Cricket Board.
The four area teams competing in the competition are New Amsterdam/ Canje, West Berbice, Lower Corentyne and Central and Upper Corentyne.
The teams will compete in a round robin format with the top two teams meeting in the final set for next month.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were Banks DIH Berbice Branch Manager Reginald Matthews, Port Mourant Cricket Club President Godfrey Persaud, BCB PRO Hilbert Foster and Banks Brand Management Trainee Ian De Barros.