Berbice U17 cricket team yesterday was crowned the 2017 Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Igloo Ice Cream Inter-County champions after their final round match against the Defending champions, Demerara had to be abandoned due to persistent rain at the Georgetown Cricket club (GCC), Bourda.
Berbice, by virtue of winning their two previous games, ended the tournament on 18.5 points while Essequibo, who defeated Demerara by three-wicket Thursday last, are the runners-up after accumulating 10.1 points.
Defending champs Demerara ended third with 8.3 points with the GCB Select U15 XI fourth.
Talented Berbice opening batsman Alex Algu was adjudged player of the tournament at the presentation ceremony after scoring 124 runs from two innings, one of which was a belligerent 81 from 78 deliveries, against Essequibo in the tournament’s curtain-raiser.
The 16-year-old, who plays for Young Warriors Cricket Club in Berbice and the Police Sports Club when in Georgetown, said that he was quite pleased with his showing adding that his aim was to make both the national under 17 and 19 teams later in the year.
“I’m feeling quite good, I trained hard which led to my success so it’s a natural feeling,” he told Stabroek Sports.
Algu, asked about his aspirations for the future said: “My goal is to make the Guyana U17 and U19 teams and try to make some runs in the regional tournament to get an U-19 [West Indies] call up,” he added.
The young opener, who is unanimously one of the technically better equipped young batsmen in the country, shrugged off the query of any pressure due to the high expectations expected of him.
“No, no pressure. I just do the basics, and as I said before, I train and play hard so that makes it easy, he added while also thanking both clubs for the support they would have thrown behind him over the years.
The skipper of the victorious side, Kevlon Anderson, indicated that he too was pleased with his side’s showing after copping this year’s title. “Yeah! I’m feeling great. We started off good against the Essequibo and the U15s but unfortunately we didn’t get a game today, due to the rain but I’d just like to say congratulations to the team, we played as a unit for the first two games which made it easy,” he added.
Anderson, also lauded the efforts of Algu and 15-year-old all-rounder Gevon Shultz for stepping up and contributing to the team’s success during the tournament.
Meanwhile, acting president of the GCB, Fizul Bacchus and Secretary Anand Sanasie, were also present at the simple ceremony where Sanasie, who took the opportunity to thank the sponsors Igloo Ice Cream for their commitment and contribution to the development of the sport.
He also informed those who were present that a 20-man squad will be shortlisted to participate in the upcoming GCB Inter-County U19 tournament, with an eye on the Regional U17 championships scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago, later in the year.
