BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – All-rounder Raymon Reifer says Saturday’s victory over Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners in the Regional Super50 was a critical one for Guyana Jaguars, especially after losing their two opening games.
Jaguars easily beat Marooners by eight wickets in a day/night affair at Kensington Oval to notch their first win and points of the tournament in Group B.
Reifer was at the forefront of the victory, striking a run-a-ball 67 as Jaguars overhauled a paltry target of 130, and afterward underscored the value of the game.
“It was very important because obviously we lost the first two games,” Reifer said.
“We were a bit on the back foot but we always believed we could come back in this tournament. Tonight (Saturday) we started the process by getting a W (win) and getting a bonus point as well.”
Jaguars went down by 145 runs to Barbados Pride in their opening game last Tuesday and then lost to Jamaica Scorpions by 41 runs in their second outing last Thursday.
With Saturday’s win, they moved to five points and can climb back into contention in the group when they face the winless ICC Americas at Windward Cricket Club today.
Reifer said the encounter was yet another must-win outing.
“It’s another crucial game for us. [We’ll] be finishing off the first four games and we’ll be looking to get a W to go into the second phase of the tournament with some confidence,” he stressed.
Barbadian Reifer, who was picked up by the Jaguars a couple of seasons ago, has been in decent nick this season with 244 runs in the four-day championship at an average of 34.
He said prior to Saturday’s innings, however, he had been concerned by his failure to convert good starts into scores of substance.
“I was batting well all along and just getting out at some [bad] times in the innings and tonight I just tried to concentrate a lot harder and it worked out for me.”
Usually a lower order batsman, he was pushed up the order to number three against CCC in a surprise move which paid dividends, as he put on 117 for the second wicket with Test batsman Rajindra Chandrika (43 not out) after Assad Fudadin fell cheaply.
But he made it clear that batting positions were not an issue for him and was willing to bat just about anywhere in the order once he was making a contribution.
“I just came in and the coach told me I am going at number three so I just smiled and went out there and batted,” the 25-year-old said.
“I have the confidence to bat anywhere so I am not worried about that – where ever I get a chance [to bat I will bat]. I think I just need to get an opportunity and not just be thinking that because I did well in one position that I should bat there all the time.”
