JAMAICA record-equalling cricketers returned to the island yesterday after sealing their fourth straight hold on the West Indies regional four-day title with victory over the Combined Campuses and Colleges over the weekend.

Guided this season by Trinidad and Tobago-born coach, Augustine ‘Gus’ Logie, Jamaica crushed the CCC team by eight wickets on a spinner-friendly surface at the Three Ws Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. The island’s three previous championships were won with Jamaican Junior Bennett in charge.

The squad minus this season’s top batsman Marlon Samuels, who flew in separately on Sunday, was greeted by Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) president, Paul Campbell upon arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport.

Captain Tamar Lambert told reporters at an impromptu press briefing at the airport that senior members played crucial roles in helping Jamaica to equal Barbados’ late 1970s feat of snatching four consecutive championships.

“I think the senior players stepped up to the plate. We were led in our batting by Marlon Samuels, Wavell Hinds and Brendan Nash and everyone else, including the bowlers, also contributed. I think we played well together as a team and we have matured into a really strong unit.

“This team has a lot of pride and we always want to win and we deserved to come out on top. I think we have done well for ourselves and have made our country proud,” said Lambert, who scored 412 runs at an average of 34.33 in the season.

Samuels, playing his first four-day tournament since a two-year ban from cricket, stood out this season with three centuries, including an unbeaten double in the competition’s opening round of matches.

The 30-year-old batting stylist amassed a tournament-topping 853 runs at 65.61. Though his prolific run-scoring tapered off in the latter half of the competition, Jamaica still managed to compile formidable totals, due to significant contributions from left-handers Wavell Hinds and Brendan Nash.

The 34-year-old Hinds was second on the run-scoring list with 634 runs at 57.63, including 165 against Trinidad & Tobago in the semi-final.

David Bernard Jr, 29, averaged 48.42 with the bat and took 15 wickets at 21.00 with the ball to maintain his reputation as one of the region’s top all-rounders.

Nash, the 32-year-old West Indies Test vice-captain, hit a double century in the semi-final and ended third on the list with 626 runs at 62.60.

He told the Observer that this season’s return has been particularly satisfying because his individual contributions put the team in strong positions on a number of occasions.

“I’ve been satisfied with my personal performances, but they were important as well because they were useful from a team perspective. I’ve been more consistent than in previous seasons because I’ve been making runs throughout the competition.

“There were only one or two matches where I didn’t get a decent start. Plus getting that double was the first I passed 200 in any competitive cricket,” he said.

While not at his best, wily leg-spinner Odean Brown finished the season as Jamaica’s top wicket-taker. He snared 30 wickets at a modest average of 30.63. The 29-year-old bowler excelled when it mattered most, however, to take seven wickets against the Combined Campuses.

Fast bowling all-rounder Andre Russell and left-arm orthodox spinner, Nikita Miller both returned from West Indies duty to support Brown, with timely breakthroughs in the final.