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RAYMON Reifer’s all-round effort guided Barbados Royals to their first win of the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament with a 15-run win over Jamaica Tallawahs at Warner Park in St Kitts, on Saturday.
Royals scored 161/5 in 20 overs, before limiting Tallawahs to 146/9 in 20 overs.
The victory for the Royals followed back-to-back losses for the Barbados franchise against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Trinbago Knight Riders.
Tallawahs now have one loss and one win to start the tournament.
Glenn Phillips, playing against his former team, struck 56 not out to push the Royals to the competitive total.
Phillips faced 46 balls in an innings which included six fours and one six.
Phillips combined with Reifer to put on an unbroken stand of 79 runs for the sixth wicket after being 82/5 in the 13th over.
Reifer had an impressive strike rate lashing 31 not out off 20 balls which included two fours and two sixes.
Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul took 2/15 in four overs for the Tallawahs.
Tallawahs also got off to a shaky start as they were reduced to 33/4 in the sixth over.
Shamarh Brooks and Carlos Brathwaite, who are both Barbadian, frustrated many of their countrymen with a 66-run partnership to keep Tallawahs in the contest.
Reifer got the vital breakthrough when he dismissed Brathwaite for 29 off 27 balls. In the same over he removed the dangerous Andre Russell for duck as Tallawahs were in trouble on 103/6 in the 15th over.
Just one day earlier, Russell cracked the fastest half century in the history of the CPL when he made 50 not out off 14 balls against the St Lucia Kings.
Tallawahs fell 16 runs short of the target as medium pacer Reifer ended with 3/31 in four overs and fast bowler Mohammad Amir took 2/23 in four overs.
Brooks was the eighth batsman dismissed for 47 off 45 balls which included six fours.

SUMMARISED SCORES
BARBADOS ROYALS 161/5 (20 overs) – Glenn Phillips 56 not out, Raymon Reifer 31 not out; Veerasammy Permaul 2/15 vs JAMAICA TALLAWAHS 146/9 (20 overs) – Sharmarh Brooks 47, Carlos Brathwaite 29; R Reifer 3/31, Thisara Perera 2/17, Mohammad Amir 2/23. Royals won by 15 runs. Man of the Match: Raymon Reifer
The post Raymon Reifer leads Barbados Royals to first win of 2021 appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.