Dear Editor,
I remember as a fifteen year old playing a cricket match for Leonora Boys club against Uitvlugt boys club at the Leonora Park for the Mankay trophy and Mr. Ryder, then the General Manager for Leonora Estate, walked in the gates and proceeded to the pavilion and sat down to watch the game. As captain of the Leonora team I went and asked him to join us for tea at four-o’clock. He obliged, and joined both teams for tea. Mr. Ryder continued to be a regular visitor to the Leonora Park regardless of which team played, he loved the game.
In 1871 Sandbach Parker and company bought Leonora and Diamond Estates from attorney George Rainey. Mr. J.V. Ryder took office at Leonora as General Manager in 1957 and was there until 1967. At that time, Raghubeer, ‘Chachmal’, was the grounds man for the Leonora Park and after his retirement Noor Mohamed ‘Skippa Ball’ took over. The old pavilion was demolished and a new pavilion along with a house for the grounds man living quarters was ordered built by Mr. Ryder. Cornelia Ida also got a new pavilion and living quarters for the grounds man, Mr. Seeram. The fenced facilities at Leonora Park had running water and indoor plumbing, a kitchen, lunchroom, table tennis table and separate rooms for visitor and home teams. Cots for sleeping were also provided to accommodate visiting teams. Funds for travelling and gear for the Youth and Boys Clubs were provided by the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund. Frequent coaching sessions were held by former West Indian player, Mr. Joe Solomon and also by Colin Wiltshire.
In 1967 Mr. Balford took over as General Manager and continued in the same tradition as his predecessor. He built a cricket ground for the workers at the Junior Staff Club compound, and another for the Teachers at Leonora Primary School, both held competition matches. To further promote and encourage the continued success of cricket in Leonora Mr. Balford donated a trophy for a cricket competition, which was to be competed for among the workers of the Leonora Estate, which included workers from Cornelia Ida and the school Teachers. Teams were from the Leonora Field, Cornelia Ida, Factory, Staff, Teachers and the Community Centre. Leonora field won the competition for two consecutive years, captained by Mr. Stanley Arjune, Centre won the third year. Trophies and other prizes were given out to the outstanding players.
Later in 1967 Mr. Mike Wright, then Leonora Assistant Field Manager, formed the Leonora Hockey Club, utilizing the same facilities at Leonora Park.
In 1969, the year that Jessels bought the Leonora and Diamond Estates from Sandbach Parker, Mr.Finnerty, then the Factory Manager at Leonora Estate donated another trophy for cricket competition between the inter-areas, workers and their families that resided in different areas e.g. Parafield, Sea Field, Pasture, Stewartville, Estate, Centre, Anna Catherina, and Cornelia Ida. Centre won for two consecutive years captained by Mr. Burlin Razack. Trophies and other prizes were again given out to the outstanding players.
Mr. Ryder, Mr. Balford, Mr. Wright and Mr. Finnerty were all expatriates and I commend them on their individual efforts in the promotion of cricket and sports in Leonora and the maintenance of the Leonora Park to a level only second to Georgetown Cricket Club, Bourda. ‘All work and no play made Jack a dull boy’, was a phrase coined by the British and they believed deeply and committed to that motto while serving in Guyana. A happy and prosperous worker will produce more with very little coaxing.
My hope is that Guysuco will take a page from the expatriates’ book and look at cricket and sports in general in a different light, and refurbish Leonora Park to what it was or bigger and better.
Yours truly,
Mohamed Alli.
(Former Captain Leonora cricket and hockey clubs,
Former Captain West Demerara Cricket)
