KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Former West Indies batsman Floyd Reifer stroked his second successive century of the WICB Regional four-day tournament to frustrate leaders Jamaica and give Combined Campuses and Colleges a fighting chance in their 11th round encounter yesterday.
The left-handed Reifer hit a superb 140 which held the CCC innings together and steered them to 324 for six at the close of the third day at Sabina Park, a lead of 255 runs.
His intervention was needed after CCC, cruising at 63 without loss, lost three quick wickets for just 11 runs to plunge to 74 for three.
After the visitors resumed at their overnight 22 without loss, leg-spinner Odean Brown started the slide when he trapped Kyle Corbin lbw for 38 after he and Omar Phillips (15) had added 63 for the first wicket.
Corbin was positive early on, stroking three fours and a six off just 60 balls.
Off-spinner Bevon Brown, who finished with three for 53, sent back Phillips in similar fashion before bowling Nekolai Parris for eight, nine runs later to leave the CCC innings in disarray.
But Reifer, who hit a fine 129 against Windward Islands in the last round, hunkered down to defy Jamaica’s bowling attack while sharing in key partnerships to keep CCC in the hunt for points in the game.
The 36-year old, Barbadian posted an invaluable 135-run stand for the fourth wicket with Jamal Smith (46), combined in a 56-run, fifth wicket effort with Kurt Wilkinson (19) before adding another 48 for the sixth wicket with Chadwick Walton who was unbeaten on an attractive 19 at the close.
Overall, Reifer faced 260 balls and cracked 12 fours and three sixes and was the final wicket of the day, eventually leg before wicket to big pacer Andrew Richardson after seeing CCC past the 300-run mark.
