Led by an undefeated half-century by Raymon Reifer, defending champions Sagicor UWI took the early lead in Zone A of the Sagicor General Super Cup 50-over competition, easily beating ICB Empire by five wickets yesterday.
Reifer’s unbeaten 60 from 67 balls with two sixes and two fours enabled UWI to overhaul Empire’s inadequate 114 from 26 overs by compiling 118 for five in 23 overs.
Earlier, this first-round game was reduced to a 26-over a side after play started at 1:30 p.m., a damp pitch preventing play from starting at the scheduled 9:30 a.m.
Veteran opener Jason Haynes and new recruit Jonathan Drakes top-scored for the “Blues” with 25 runs each after they lost the toss and batted.
Kevin Stoute also scored 14 but no one stayed around long enough to make a meaningful score as leg-spinner Akeem Dewar bowled impressively to snare three for 15 from six overs.
UWI’s reply started shakily with the loss of openers Anthony Alleyne and Simon Naitram by the time the score reached 19. But Reifer and former captain Kyle Corbin (12) put the students in sight of victory with a third-wicket stand of 47.
Even though Corbin and Steven Jacobs were bowled by the wily Andre Evelyn (2-25) with his slow medium pace after Jonathan Carter fell for 12, new UWI captain Carlos Brathwaite made sure that there would be no alarms by smashing two sixes in his quick-fire unbeaten 19.
All other Zone A matches were abandoned without a ball being bowled. The game at Foursquare Oval between home team Pickwick and MTW was called off after umpires Andrew Corbin and Valerie Mahon found the wet conditions unsuitable for play.
Umpires Vincent Bullen and Japhath Kirton found similar wet conditions at Trents, where Guardian General Youth were visiting Maple, while the same decision to call off play early was made by umpires Ryan Willoughby and Clyde Alleyne at Friendship in the match between Yorkshire and visiting LIME.
