Former cricket administrator documents history in Ancient County

Sep 18, 2014 Sports

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Years of service to cricket as a player and selector in Berbice has resulted in a large accumulation of valuable knowledge in the intricacies of the sport and enabled Mortimer George to document his experiences and knowledge in two publications, a magazine, The Phenomenon- 75 Years of Berbice Cricket and a guide, ‘75 Years of Berbice Cricket.’ The publications come at a time when cricket administrators are observing the historic Diamond Jubilee – 75 years of cricket in the region and follows George’s first publication in 2010, ‘A Time in Our History: Berbice Cricket, 1939- 2010.’
George’s affiliation to the sport as a player and administrator exceeds 50 of the 75 years of the existence of the Berbice entity where he served in numerous positions, including Honorary Secretary for eight years. He was also an active player for some 20 years (1964-1983). On Monday last, he was tangibly rewarded for such dedicated service when he was inducted into the BCB’s Cricket Hall of Fame.
Mr. George provided an insight of the publications during an interview with this writer and said that that the magazine features the ‘Phenomenal Five’ cricketers: Lance Gibbs, Rohan Kanhai, Ivan Madray, Basil Butcher and Joseph Solomon who represented British Guiana. Several, other players from the Ancient County, four from the Port Mourant Estate Cricket Club and another from the Demerara Cricket Club, all made their Test debut between 1957 and 1958, all within an amazingly short period of nineteen months with and two of those players going on to become rated among the best in the world.
The Magazine also epitomizes the role of the first President of the BCB, Duncan McGregor Stuart complete with pictorial evidence of former inductees into the BCB Cricketers and Administrators Hall of Fame. Female cricketers as well as the 18 test players that represented the county were also featured in the magazine. Notably, Ms. Candace Atkins, who played one test in 2004, also received commendation for her contribution. The magazine also features six inductees into the Berbice Cricket Board Administrators Hall of Fame and one inductee into the Berbice Cricket Board Cricketers Hall of Fame complete with their profiles.
Mr. George explains that the 300 – page guide is his third edition and documents the origin of cricket in England during the year, 1301. The literary piece further documents the establishment of the Hambledon Cricket Club, the MCC in 1887, the ICC in 1909 and the WICB in the 1920’s.
Other notable historical facts include notes on the BCB in 1939, the British Guiana Cricket Board of Control in 1942, the Essequibo Cricket Association in 1954, later renamed the Essequibo Cricket Board. The book also examines governance and the passage of the sport to other parts of the Caribbean and the world.
The author explains that the book has four lengthy chapters that highlight the historical aspect of the sport in the Ancient County since its founding in 1939.  Another section touches on several important contributors including past test cricketers, Guyana and Berbice county captains in the senior competitions, notable umpires, coaches, presidents, secretaries, chairmen, treasurers as well as a long list of those with life membership.  Another section of the Guide documents the profile of some 220 cricketers, administrators and other important individuals who have contributed to the growth and development of the sport in Berbice, then there is a sub-section headlined, ‘Significant, Awesome, Unique’, and deals extensively with life membership and special membership on the BCB while highlighting individual performances of past players including stats and other relevant information.
Mr. George, who is visually impaired, admits that the book was a challenging endeavor saying that because of his impediment, he experienced difficulties obtaining stats and information. He attributes his success to faith and unswerving trust in the Almighty. “It also called for a lot of commitment most times I worked through the night,” he disclosed. The former cricket administrator further said that he was required to engage in lots of research to arrive at the final product.
Nevertheless, he admitted that he received a lot of assistance and was high in praise of Lennox Phillips, Ansell Hazel, Samuel Asregadoo, Shan Razack, Basil Mohabir and family members. He said that he was especially indebted to his wife, Lucille Bowman, for her unreserved support during the difficult periods of his work. .
The magazine is 50 pages thick and is available free of cost, while the Guide is being sold for $3,500. A book CD also accompanies both the Guide and Magazine and sells for $1,500. Both books are being sold as a package.
Interested persons can purchase copies at the BCB Office, Cheddi Jagan Street, New Amsterdam, Austin’s Book Services, Church Street, Georgetown, Gordon’s Book Store, Pitt Street, New Amsterdam and Cricket Zone, Bronx, New York. The book can also be found online at www.lulu.com.  (Leon Suseran)

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