Bridgetown, Barbados – Raymon Reifer believes his Combined Campuses & Colleges team can match Trinidad & Tobago in their Regional Super 50 semi-final at Kensington Oval on Thursday. First ball is 2:30 pm (1:30 pm Jamaica Time).
Raymon Reifer looking to excel. Photo: WICB Media/Randy Brooks
The left-handed allrounder has been his team’s highest scorer and leading wicket-taker in the tournament so far this season and his performances have led them to fourth place in the first round and a spot in the Final Four.
He featured in all six preliminary matches, scoring 140 runs in the middle-order and bagging nine wickets with his deceptive left-arm seam bowling. Now, Reifer the 21-year-old has promised to dig deeper to help his side secure a spot in Sunday’s Grand Final
“We didn’t come this far to just roll over. We had some ups and downs in the first round, but we played well when we needed to and we booked our place in the semi-finals (Final Four),” he told WICB Media after a full training session on Wednesday morning at the 3Ws Oval.
“The mood in the camp is really upbeat and we are looking forward to tomorrow’s match. It’s a big game for all of us. It means a lot to all of us.
“Many people see us as the underdogs in this game but we don’t have a problem with that. They (T&T) won all their matches so I guess it’s fair that they are listed as the favorites. We will be paying full attention to what we have to do. We know that we have to be at our best in all three departments – batting, bowling and fielding so the plan is to be at our very best.”
Reifer added: “T&T are a good team and play together. When you play against them you have to be shoulder to shoulder with them and look to match them.”
Raymon is a member of the well known Reifer family. His father Elvis was also a left-handed allrounder, who represented Barbados in the Shell Shield and Hampshire in the English County Championship. Two uncles, Leslie and George, played for Barbados in the 1980s while his cousin Floyd represented West Indies at the highest level and is player/coach at the CCC. Another cousin, Leslie Jnr, is one of the youngest first-class umpires in regional cricket history.
“Everyone knows I come from a cricketing family where almost everyone played the game. It’s wonderful coming from a family of cricketers and it gives you that added incentive to ‘represent’ well,” he said.