Alvin Kallicharran, the former West Indies Test batsman is one of many who feel that if nationwide school cricket is not resuscitated, cricket at the higher levels will struggle, since school cricket is the nursery that feeds the clubs, which feeds the counties, which feeds the country and, ultimately, the West Indies. Inter House cricket must be revived at every secondary school while Kiddies cricket has be a part of the Primary schools’ program with Ministry-paid cricket Coaches sent to the various schools across Guyana. Before I played for Guyana at under-19 level, I learnt to play cricket at the Stella Maris Primary school. We were coached by the late Mr. Headley who was an Umpire. When I progressed to the Richard Ishmael Secondary, National cricketers Derrick Kallicharran and Andy Jackman were sent out by the National Sports Commission to coach, where Rex Collymore and the late William Jeffrey were in charge of the cricket programme. The ‘old’ students who have played at the national or senior Inter-County level could be asked to ‘give back’ to their former schools. We practiced at the GTU ground on Woolford Avenue and at our school ground on which the North Georgetown Primary school is now located. We had to take part
in every sport unless a ‘medical’ supporting non- participation was produced to the Games Master. The best ground on Woolford Avenue was the then Tutorial High School ground which is now no longer a ground while Students from Stella Maris, St Joseph High and North Georgetown Secondary would play on the ground opposite the Stella Maris Primary. Queens College, which produced Dr. Roopnarine, former West Indies Vice-Captain Roger Harper and ex-Guyana swing bowler Garfield Charles to name a few, had three grounds with pitches which were used for Northcote and 3rd Class cricket competitions in which QC participated. Now those grounds cannot host any cricket. St Stanislaus College also had a cricket ground. The East Ruimveldt Secondary and North Ruimveldt Multilateral, opposite each other on Mandela Avenue, were excellent cricket grounds which, under the past Administration, became virtual ‘Jungles’. In Berbice, which arguably has the strongest ‘cricket culture’, the school system there produced several top cricketers. Corentyne Comprehensive produced the Nagamootoo brothers, Narsingh Deonarine, Veerasammy Permaul and Andre Percival, JC Chandisingh had Basil Butcher, Joe Solomon, Alvin Kallicharran,
Ivan Madray, the Etwaroo siblings and Assad Fudadin while Clayton Lambert and Shimron Hetymer attended the Berbice High School. The Port Mourant Secondary produced Devendra Bishoo, Rosignol Secondary had Brandon Bess and Lower Corentyne produced Sew Shivnarine and Sewnarine Chattergoon with Rohan Kanhai, arguably Guyana’s best batsman, attended the Port Mourant Roman Catholic Primary while Jaguars Wicket Keeper, Anthony Bramble attended the Skeldon Secondary. In Essequibo, West Indies ‘A’ team player Ronsford Beaton went to school at Abram Zuil Secondary, Anthony Adams attended the Pomona Secondary and West Indies U-19 player Keemo Paul was produced by the Essequibo Islands Secondary located on the Island of Wakenaam. However, the two top schools in Essequibo are Anna Regina Secondary and Cotton Field Secondary. These two schools are in close proximity to each other and account for most of the students within the township. While Anna Regina is considered the top school in terms of academics, they produced good cricketers as well. Dinesh Joseph, Yogeshwar Lall, Lawrence Farnum, Clain Williams, Elroy Stephney, Herell Green, Sahadeo Hardiow, Nathan Persaud, Devon Ramnauth and Mahendra
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