Pickwick Junior cricketers awarded

THE young cricketers of CGM Gallagher Pickwick Juniors were celebrated in grand style and recognised as the future of Barbados and West Indies cricket following a courageous quarter-final run in only their second year of Under-13 competition.

Hosted on Sunday by Club President, Desmond Marshall, the young sportsmen were showered with accolades during a festive evening. In addition to special awards and medals, they also held close to their chests the encouraging words of featured speaker Robin Parris, the Territorial Officer for the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

Parris said the Pickwick Under-13 team had been born just three years prior under a WICB Grassroots Programme as a result of the efforts of Pickwick Club Head Coach Corey Yearwood. He praised the players and coaches Clint St. Hill and Patrick Waithe, for outstanding progress made in such a short period of time.

“A key aspect of the Grassroots Programme is that the junior team is designed to feed the Club’s senior teams and to feed the Club and make it sustainable. You are the future of Pickwick, the future of Barbados’ cricket, and certainly the future of West Indies’ cricket,” Parris said.

In praising the success of the Pickwick Junior programme, Parris said it demonstrated that young players could develop and win at the same time. He urged the players to remain committed through the ups and downs of development.

“Yes you are going to cry, especially when you wanted to win and it didn’t work out, but I just want to leave one word with you – commitment. Be committed to your cricket, to your practice sessions, committed to your play, to your batting and to your fielding, committed to whatever task the coaches have given you. Also be committed to your schoolwork; you have to be able to juggle your cricket and schoolwork, it goes hand in hand.”

Hard-hitting opening batsman, Tyreque Nurse, took home the Best Batsman award for 386 runs in eight innings at an average of 77. His name also inaugurated the Most Valuable Player plaque, as he added ten wickets for the season. Fellow opener, Kajay Sealy, who starred in two 100-run opening stands was adjudged the Most Improved player. Off-spinner Charleston Browne was the best bowler with 14 wickets at an average of 13.43 and he was also awarded best fielder. Consistent all-rounder Nathan Forde was recognised with the Emerging Player award for his contributions with both bat and ball.