Roach cops prestigious President’s Award

West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach was awarded the President’s Award at the Barbados Cricket Association’s (BCA) annual awards held at Mahogany Ridge, St James on Saturday.

Roach, the fifth highest wicket taker in Tests for West Indies with 270 wickets from 81 Test matches, was presented with the coveted award by the BCA’s vice-president Calvin Hope.
Hope disclosed that president Conde Riley had been granted temporary leave from his duties with the BCA Board of Directors.

Kemar Roach (left) is presented with the President’s Award by BCA vice-president Calvin Hope. (GP)

Debutant pacer for the Barbados Pride team in this year’s ongoing regional West Indies Championship, Shaquille Cumberbatch, was among three players to be rewarded with Special Awards; the others being retired former West Indies Women wicketkeeper/batter Kycia Knight, and all-rounder Nathan Sealy, Barbados’ Under 19 captain and vice-captain of the West Indies Under 19’s at the 2024 ICC Men’s Youth World Cup held in South Africa.

Cumberbatch, who took a five-wicket haul in his first match for the Pride against Jamaica at Sabina Park, enjoyed a prolific 2023 season for Elite Division champions Empire and is a member of the BCA’s ground staff at Kensington Oval, was named the Most Improved Male Cricketer and received another award for 10 years’ service as a BCA employee.

Barbados’ Under-17 team which created history by being crowned double regional champions in 2023.

Sealy was adjudged the Rising Star of the Year, while Knight who announced her retirement from international duty last year, was rewarded for her contribution to Barbados Women’s clean sweep of the regional Women’s Super50 and T20 Blaze competitions in 2023. She also copped the award for the Most Outstanding Female Erin Deane of the St Michael School, a member of both the Barbados senior and Under-19 teams and who is currently attending a West Indies Women’s Under-19 training camp in St Kitts, was named the Most Improved Female Player.

Nathan Sealy was named Rising Star of the Year.

Demetrius Richards of the Wildey Club captured awards for the Most Outstanding Male Player for the year having scored the most runs (421) in the Super Cup. He also shared the award for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper with Rivaldo Clarke (Gladiola), Tauron Gibson (Spartan) and Antone Lucas-Jones (UWI). The left-handed Richards also recorded the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the Elite Division.

Special tribute was also paid to the national Under-17 squad, who like the Barbados Women, were double crown champions of the CWI Rising Stars 50 Over and Two-Day tournaments.

The feature address was delivered by Professor Dwayne Devonish, lecturer of the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus’ Department of Management Studies, who spoke on the theme “Are We Ready?”
Zeroing in on the topic of excellence, Devonish cited the institution of cricket in the island as a symbol of Barbadian brilliance.

“If you think about it, one of the things that we as a former colony were able to turn into an excellent tradition is the institution of cricket.
“Excellence is not about what you attain, but is what you do and how you carry yourself. It is an attitude that you carry all through your life,” the professor said.

He admonished the entire audience to “strive for excellence. It is simply not something that you are seeking to attain, it is the way or the process through which you desire to attain something.”

The glamorous ceremony, which celebrated outstanding achievements by teams and individuals during the 2023 season, was attended by a number of dignitaries, including Dean of the Cathedral Church of St Michael and All Angels, The Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey Gibson, who offered the opening prayer.

A wide cross section of the island’s cricket fraternity, current and past players, administrators and staff were also present.
They were treated to a sumptuous dinner and a special appearance by calypso maestro, Stedson “Red Plastic Bag” Wiltshire, a reputable cricketer himself.

The BCA’s marketing manager, Steven Leslie, along with marketing assistant, Shari Ross, shared the duties of Master of Ceremonies, while the Association’s chief executive officer, Dr Roland Toppin gave the vote of thanks to climax the evening’s activities. (GH)

Divisional Champions

Elite – Empire
First Division – Pickwick
Intermediate – BDF
Second division – Wanderers
Schools’ Division – The St. Michael School