CAVE HILL, Barbados (CMC) — Kirk Edwards made an emphatic return to the Barbados team with his eighth first-class 100 to lead a strong batting performance against Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) in the Regional Four-Day Championship here, yesterday.

Edwards hit a composed 109, as the “visitors” reached 248 for four, replying to CCC’s first innings total of 269 at the close on the second day of their third-round match at the Three Ws Oval.

It was Edwards’ first innings since he was expelled from the national side prior to the NAGICO Super50 Tournament last month in Trinidad, and he stamped his authority with his fifth Regional Four-Day 100.

He struck five fours and four sixes from 204 balls in four hours of batting, and dominated a stand of 180 for the second wicket with captain and opener Kraigg Brathwaite, unbeaten on 85, that established a new mark for the Barbadians against CCC.

Edwards reached his 100 in 198 minutes, when he drove his 182nd ball — from Austin – to long-on for a single.

Brathwaite, Edwards’ successor as Barbados captain, and wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich was not out on eight when stumps were drawn.

Test opener Brathwaite, whose knock contained five fours from 274 balls in just over six hours, stood firm, batting all day, as the CCC fought back with three wickets in the final hour to add some intrigue to the final period.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, a graduate of the West Indies High Performance Centre, has been the pick of the CCC bowlers with a miserly two for 47 from 28 overs, and off-spinner Ryan Austin supported with two for 64 from 27 overs.