PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC– Raymon Reifer slammed a brilliant half century to rekindle a run chase which collapsed several times as Guyana Jaguars pulled off a sensational come-from-behind win over Barbados Pride in the NAGICO Super50 here last night.
Jaguars edged the champions by two wickets in a late night thriller spurred on by Reifer playing a gallant role to be undefeated on 84 and receiving support along the way.
The cliffhanger encounter played, especially in the final moments, like a grand finale as the Jaguars clawed their way back from a path of defeat to the edge of victory, needing one run from four balls after the scores were tied at 168 runs.
Reifer’s batting heroics pulled the Jaguars out of slumps at various stages to secure their second win and to virtually assure themselves of a place in the semi-finals.
He hit five fours and three sixes and dominated the innings to cancel out another impressive half century from Kraigg Brathwaite which setup Pride’s total of 168 for four after they won the toss and decided to bat.
Guyana suffered an early setback on the chase , stumbling to two wickets for two runs when openers Trevon Griffith and Rajendra Chandrika were removed for duck and two respectively, and plunged to 32 for three after Shivnarine Chanderpaul was caught for 15.
Reifer put on 39 runs for the third wicket with Chanderpaul and 41 for the fourth wicket with Captain Chris Barnwell who was run out for 16, before Guyana experienced another batting collapse.
Three wickets fell in a short space of time as the Jaguars again hit turbulence adding just three runs to the total during that shaky period.
Reifer, voted man-of-the-match, again led the revival by sharing a 51 run stand with Veerasammy Permaul for the seventh wicket as Jaguars fortunes changed from a daunting prospect to victory on the Horizon.
Tailender Devendra Bishoo batted sensibly to be not out on 26, providing vital support to Reifer, in a late innings partnership that produced 41 runs to ensure victory for the Jaguars with four balls to spare.
Javon Searles and Ryan Hinds grabbed two wickets each for Barbados Pride.
Earlier, the inform Brathwaite top scored for the Bajans with a powerful knock of 73 that featured six fours and a six and was part of a solid opening stand of 67 with Shai Hope.
Hopes, who scored 26, was the first of three victims caught behind by Anthony Bramble as Barbados went through a state of chaos, losing those three wickets while adding 22 runs.
But a third wicket stand of 46 between Brathwaite and Ryan Hinds reignited the innings until the partnership expired when Brathwaite lost his wicket by way of the run-out route and the efforts of Bishoo, who along with Royston Crandon and Barnwell picked up a wicket each.
Hinds was not out on 37.
The match was reduced to 35 overs a side because of rain which delayed the start of play.
Scoreboard
Barbados Franchise
K Brathwaite* run out (D Bishoo) 73
S Hope c A Bramble b R Crandon 26
K Edwards c A Bramble b D Bishoo 7
S Brooks c A Bramble b C Barnwell 6
R Hinds not out 37
A Nurse not out 11
Did not bat: S Dorrich, F Edwards, K Stoute, J Warrican, J Searles
Extras 6w 2lb 0b 8
Total 168 for 4
Bowling: Beaton 7-0-42-0,Jacobs 7-0-23-0,Permaul 7-0-32-0,Bishoo 8-0-29-1, Crandon 3-0-16-1, Barnwell 4-0-24-1.
Fall of wickets 1-67 (Hope), 2-78 (Edwards), 3-89 (Brooks), 4-135(Brathwaite)
Guyana Jaguars
T Griffith lbw b F Edwards 0
R Chandrika lbw b J Searles 2
R Reifer not out 84
S Chanderpaul c A Nurse b K Stoute 15
C Barnwell* run out(K Stoute) 16
R Crandon c S Dowrich b R Hinds 1
S Jacobs lbw b R Hinds 1
A Bramble+ b J Warrican 0
V Permaul b J Searles 11
D Bishoo not out 26
Did not bat: R Beaton
Extras 11w 2lb 13
Total 169 for 8
Bowling: Edwards 6.2-1-33-1,Searles 7-0-31-2,Stoute 4-0-15-1,Burse 4-0-23-0,Hinds 7-0-33-2, Warrican 7-0-32-1.
Fall of wickets 1-0(Griffith), 2-2 (Chandrika), 3-32 (Chanderpaul),4-73(Barnwell) 5-74(Crandon) 6-76(Jacobs), 7-77(Bramble), 8-128(Permaul)
Results: Jaguars won by two wickets
Toss: Barbados Pride
Umpires: P Nero P Gustard JS Wilson A Sanowar
