Former Barbados player Elvis Reifer is dead

Bridgetown, Barbados, CMC – Former Barbados all-rounder Elvis Reifer passed away suddenly on Saturday morning. He was 50. Reifer, a left-arm fast-medium bowler and a useful left-handed lower-order batsman, was one of four from his family that played in the regional first-class game.

His twin brother George and older brother Leslie played for Barbados in the 1980s. His nephew Floyd played for Barbados and has been a fixture with the Combined Campuses & Colleges over the last four seasons, going on to captain West Indies, and his son Raymon made his regional debut for the CCC this year.

Elvis Reifer was signed as a 23-year-old by English county Hampshire in 1984, although he had no first-class experience. He took 41 English County Championship wickets at 41.53 apiece, although his One-day form was more promising. In Barbados club cricket, he was a stalwart at the Pickwick Cricket Club and made a number of outstanding contributions with bat and ball in the 1980s and 1990s.

In 1986 he played his one and only first-class match for Barbados against Trinidad and Tobago. He bowled 12 wicketless overs and made an attacking 51 not out, batting at Number 10. In all, he played 21 first-class matches, scoring 408 runs at 22.66, and snaring 49 wickets at 36.95 apiece.