Inaugural Perry Gossai Memorial Tournament to bowl off in West Berbice

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is forging ahead with a packed 2019 cricket season after hosting a record 30 cricket tournaments in 2018. The proactive cricket board plan to improve upon their 2018 numbers by hosting a massive 35 tournaments in 2019, and have already begun three.
Tomorrow (Saturday, January 19), the BCB will be commencing the inaugural edition of the Perry Gossai Memorial 100 Balls Tournament for teams in the West Berbice area. The tournament is being sponsored by Gossai’s son Arun and his family, in memory of the late Attorney-at-Law who was an outstanding cricket administrator in his home village of Woodley Park, West Coast, Berbice.
BCB President Hilbert Foster, who spearheads a very aggressive marketing drive to attract sponsorship for Berbice cricket, disclosed that the tournament is the first among several that will be played across the ancient county at the zone level. Similar tournaments are expected to be played in Upper Corentyne, Berbice River, Lower Corentyne and New Amsterdam/Canje.
BCB President Foster stated that the main objectives are to strengthen cricket clubs in the difference sub-zones, to encourage clubs to excel, to identify new talents for coaching programmes, and to support grass roots cricket. The eleven teams that will be participating in the tournament are Paradise, Bush Lot United, Cotton Tree, Shieldstown, Achievers, Bush Lot Rising Star, Blairmont Community Centre, Number 5, D’ Edward, Hopetown and Bath.
He furthermore went on to share that the BCB is delighted to partner with the Gossai Family to pay tribute to the respected attorney-at-law. He hailed the late attorney-at-law as a positive role model who had opened the doors for many to succeed in life.
The Perry Gossai Memorial 100 Balls Tournament will be the first of several to be played in West Berbice, as special emphasis would be placed in the area by the Berbice Cricket Board. The tournament rules will stipulate that clubs are limited to one first division player who has played three or more first division matches in 2018 and 2019 combined. Under-19 Players are not being considered as first division players, but teams are restricted to just three players who have played more than three first division matches.
Arun Gossai, who is also an attorney-at-law, stated that his late father was a passionate cricket follower, and as such his family was delighted to honour him in such a fitting way. He expressed confidence that the BCB would organise a successful tournament. Additionally, the younger Gossai urged all the clubs to play the tournament in an environment of friendship and discipline.

Fixtures for the First Round on Saturday 19th January, 2019:
1) Paradise Cricket Club vs Bush Lot United Cricket Club @ Paradise
2) Cotton Tree Cricket Club vs Shieldstown Cricket Club @ Cotton Tree
3) Achievers Cricket Club vs Bush Lot Rising Cricket Club @ Bush Lot
4) Blairmont Cricket Club vs No. 5 Cricket Club @ No. 5
5) D’ Edward Cricket Club vs Hopetown Cricket Club @ D’ Edward