Despite a few hiccups and some unwarranted delays the promised and much anticipated Albion Community Centre Lighting Project is almost complete and is ready for use. The project, which was scheduled to be completed by the 15th March and done at a cost of $91M, has been reportedly completed and tested.
The illuminated Albion ground during a test of the lighting.
Stakeholders are elated that the project has come to fruition. The lights are expected to be put into full use tonight with the staging of the annual Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) and Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association (BCCDA) annual cricket extravaganza.
The Berbice Cricket Board XI (BCB XI) has won the 2014 Independence Cup final, played at the Albion Sports Complex.
Despite a swashbuckling and determined half- century from I. Hossen, East Coast Jaguars (ECJ) failed to lift the Independence Cup in an exciting final under lights. Hossen hit 51 off 29 balls with the aid six fours and two sixes in a bid to take his team to the winning target of 74. He was eventually run out in the final over in which two wickets fell, as ECJ reached 71-6 off of their allotted overs.
The match had been reduced to eight overs a side after a heavy downpour left the pitch wet, forcing organizers to have to wait for more than one hour before the match could have got started. Hossen came to the crease in the first over with the score on 4-1 and piloted his team to 70-5, when he was run out attempting a second run as the visitors needed four to win off the last two balls.
Leading BCB XI, S. Shameer was the pick of the bowlers grabbing 3-19 off three overs. Earlier, man-of-the-match Michael Newland hit a whirlwind 27 after clearing the boundary ropes twice and hitting three fours to help BCB XI to 73-7 off their allotted eight overs. K. Bishundyal was almost unplayable as he finished with 4-21 off of four overs bowling for ECJ.
The winners received $200, 000 and the Independence Cup, while the losing finalist received $100,000.
The BCB XI had qualified for the final by beating the Berbice Chambers of Commerce and Development Association XI (BCCDA XI) by four wickets. Scores: BCCDA XI 115-9 off 20 overs. In reply,the BCB XI made 119-6 off 19 overs, while ECJ made light work of Diamond Digital Technology to reach the final. Scores: ECJ 163-7 off 20 overs, Diamond Digital Technology in reply were restricted to 122-6 at the end of their 20 overs.
Meanwhile, in an invitational softball game between a West Berbice XI and Oldendoff, the West Berbice boys failed to defend their modest 61-9 that they posted in their allotted 10 overs as Oldendoff reached 62 without loss in 4.2 overs when they batted.
The event was a joint fund- raising effort between the Berbice Cricket Board and Berbice Chambers of Commerce and Development Association.
![[Image: lights.jpg]](http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/lights.jpg)
