CAVE HILL, Barbados, CMC – A day that started with bright prospects for Leeward Islands turned gloomy, when Raymon Reifer led three batsmen with half-centuries to revive the fortunes of Combined Campuses and Colleges in the Regional Four-Day Championship yesterday.
The hosts amassed 333 for six with left-hander Reifer gathering a career-best 85, Chadwick Walton an unbeaten 74 and left-handed opener Anthony Alleyne, 71, on the penultimate day of their fourth round clash on a docile 3Ws Oval pitch.
CCC now lead by 270 runs.
CCC clawed their way back into a match that looked like it was getting away from them, with the pair of Raymon Reifer and Alleyne spending nearly 3-¾ hours together at the crease, taking advantage of the conditions to put on 113 for the third wicket.
After they were separated, Reifer shared 47 for the fourth wicket with his elder cousin Floyd, the former Barbados and West Indies captain, now CCC player/coach, before he fell about half-hour before tea.
There was still no respite for Sylvester Joseph’s side, as Walton then came to the crease and batted with typical aplomb, putting on an even 100 for the fifth wicket with the elder Reifer, whose 48 left him seven runs short of becoming the leading scorer overall in the history of the four-day tournament.
Feisty leg-spinner Anthony Martin was the most successful bowler for Leewards, finishing the day with three for 112 from a marathon 53 overs, and Tonito Willett supported with two for 79 from 29 overs.
Leewards started the day looking to make inroads into the CCC batting, after the hosts resumed on 73 for two.
But the visitors had early evidence that they would endure the long, hard grind, when Alleyne and Reifer dropped anchor.
A flick off Willett through backward square leg for two carried Alleyne to his 50 from 62 balls inside the first hour.
Leewards went wicket-less in the first session, as Alleyne and Reifer carried CCC to 134 for two at lunch.
After the interval, the Leewards saw Reifer continue merrily to land his 50 from 91 balls with a drive to cover for a single off Martin.
But the same bowler made the breakthrough, when he trapped Alleyne lbw swinging across the line about half-hour after lunch. The CCC opener struck just half-dozen boundaries from 262 balls in just over 4-½ hours of batting.
Still, the Leewards failed to make headway, as the two Reifers continued to build on the platform.
Martin however, gained a dubious lbw decision to remove the younger Reifer, whose 277-minute stay included nine boundaries from 262 balls.
Leewards failed to take another wicket, as Walton joined the elder Reifer and they batted through the remaining half-hour to carry CCC to 195 for four at tea.
Willett however, trapped the elder Reifer lbw in the final hour, playing across a full-length delivery looking for the deuce that would take him to his 50.
Tonge struck a late blow, when he had Akeem Dewar caught at deep fine leg in the final 10 minutes from a top-edged hook for a quick-fire 20.
Scoreboard
COMBINED CAMPUSES & COLLEGES
1st Innings 180
LEEWARD ISLANDS
1st Innings 243
COMBINED CAMPUSES & COLLEGES 2nd Innings
(overnight 73 for two)
S. Thomas lbw b Willett 21
A. Alleyne lbw b Martin 71
*K. Corbin lbw b Martin 1
R. Reifer lbw b Martin 85
F. Reifer lbw b Willett 48
+C. Walton not out 74
A. Dewar c Powell b Tonge 20
K. McClean not out 1
Extras (b6, lb6) 12
TOTAL (6 wkts, 133 overs) 333
Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-35, 3-148, 4-195, 5-295, 6-332
Bowling: Tonge 22-11-60-1; Martin 53-16-112-3; Willett 29-6-79-2; L. Joseph 21-3-57-0; Liburd 8-3-13-0
Position: CCC lead by 270 runs with four second innings wickets standing
Umpires: N. Cook, N. Shivsankar
