(By Brij Parasnath In Trinidad & Tobago)

A magnificent unbeaten 84 by Raymon Reifer and admirable support from Devendra Bishoo (21 not out), Christopher Barnwell (16) and Veersammy Permaul (11) helped the Guyana Jaguars to register a thrilling two-wicket victory over the Barbados Pride in their WICB NAGICO Super50 Zone A encounter at the Queen’s Park Oval last evening.The Jaguars made 169 for 8 off 35.2 overs in reply to Barbados Pride 168 for 4 off 36 overs in a rain affected match that was reduced to a 36-overs-a-side affair.
After an emphatic 142-run victory over Windwards Volcanoes in their opening round Zone A match at the same venue on Thursday last, the Guyana Jaguars batsmen, apart from Barbadian-born Reifer and Permaul and Bishoo displayed a total lack of purpose, conviction and understanding of their respective roles against the Barbados Pride.
However, at the end, it was the disciplined Reifer who emerged as the shining light and his heroism and sensible batting display together with the controlled aggression by Permaul and Bishoo during the eighth and ninth wicket stands that allowed the Jaguars to celebrate a famous victory and avenge their semi-final defeat in last year’s competition.
Reifer was deservedly voted “Man- of- the Match” for his matured and superlative batting display and he was associated in two crucial partnerships with Permaul and Bishoo to rally the Jaguars to sensational fighting victory. He shared a 51-run eighth wicket partnership with Permaul and was associated with a heroic unbroken 41-run ninth wicket partnership with Bishoo who also batted brilliantly for his unbeaten 21.
Trevon Griffith failed again and made a three-ball duck while Rajendra Chandrika was adjudged LBW to Javon Seales for two. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, in his career 400th List A match; scooped the ball to Ashley Nurse off Kevin Stoute and departed for 15 after a 31-run third wicket stand.
Skipper Christopher Barnwell ran himself out for 16. He committed cricket suicide by pushing the ball straight to Stuote at short extra cover and raced to the non-striker’s end while Reifer watched in agony and despair to see such a calamity because Barnwell never attempted to regain his end and was easily sent packing.
Further disaster for the Jaguars when Royston Crandon (1) was caught behind by wicketkeeper Dowrich off Ryan Hinds who also claimed Steven Jacobs was LBW for one. There were no heroics from Anthony Bramble as he did against Windwards. He was comprehensively bowled by debutant leftarm spinner Joel Warrican for nought and the Jaguars had lost four quick wickets at 73, 74, 76 and 77.
Permaul joined Reifer and they restored hope and energy into the proceedings with sensible batting and running between the wickets. Permaul was the original aggressor but he calmed down and allowed Reifer to up the tempo with some audacious strokeplay which proved too much for the Barbadians who were stunned at the end.
Earlier, aided by three dropped catches, West Indies Test opener Kraigg Brathwaie chalked up his career highest List A score and rallied Barbados Pride to 168 for 4 off 36 overs.
The 22-year-old Brathwaite was dropped by skipper Christopher Barnwell at first slip in leftarm spinner Veerasammy Permaul’s first over after he had replaced Ronsford Beaton who completed his first four overs and conceded only 14 runs.
The right-handed opener was then offered another life by Rajendra Chandrika whose diving effort at leg gully was good enough to hold onto the lobbed sweep shot off the luckless Permaul’s sixth delivery of his second over.
Brathwaite profited with those let off at 14 and 18 and he motored along with Shai Hope and together they pushed the Barbadian Pride total to 64 for the first wicket stand before part-time offspinner Royston Crandon, who played in place of Vishaul Singh, effected the breakthrough when he deceived Hope with a quicker delivery and the edged stroke was well taken by wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble who featured in the other two dismissals.
Devendra Bishoo outfoxed Kirk Edwards (7) and was caught by Bramble at 78 for 2 (21.1 overs) and eleven runs later Barnwell forced Shamarh Brooks (6) to edge through to the wicketkeeper who gleefully accepted the offer and Barbados Pride were three wickets down for 89 off 24.1 overs.
Brathwaite got his third List A fifty but was soon dropped by Bramble at 52 off Steven Jacobs who had returned for his second spell.
The score was 96 for 3 in the 26th over and Brathwaite continued his fortuitous innings to move past his previous highest List A score of 63 scored for the West Indies A team versus Sri Lanka A during the 2nd Unofficial ODIs at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Sri Lanka on November 3 last year.
He was eventually run out for 73 after he had added a further 46 runs with former WI Test player Ryan Hinds who remained unbeaten on 37 off 36 balls when the innings closed at 168 for 4 off 36 overs.
Ashley Nurse, who returned from South Africa where he played for the West Indies team in the T20 International series was the other not out batsman on 11.
Bishoo (1 for 29 from 8 overs), Crandon (1 for 16 from 3 overs) and Barnwell (1 for 24 from 4 overs) were the successful Guyanese bowlers.
Guyana heads the Zone standings with nine points and clash with the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) team in their final group match tomorrow at the same venue.

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 0nb 6w 2lb 0b 0pen 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 0nb 11w 2lb 0b 0pen 13
Total 169 for 8
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)
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.