Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Jamaica's Daren Powell (right) holds aloft the KFC Cup while walking beside skipper Chris Gayle, who has his trophy for being the Winning Captain, as the national senior cricket team arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday. Jamaica dethroned Trinidad and Tobago in Sunday's final in Barbados, winning by 28 runs. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

ALLOWING players the freedom to express themselves was a major factor behind Jamaica's 2007 KFC Cup regional limited-over success, captain Christopher Gayle disclosed yesterday upon the team's return at the Norman Manley International Airport from the Eastern Caribbean where it played preliminary round matches in Guyana and the Final Four tournament in Barbados.

Jamaica, arguably the strongest team on paper in regional cricket for almost a decade, broke an eight-year drought at the regional one-day level.

Asked about his magic stint as captain, Gayle, who led West Indies to a one-day series win over England on the recent tour in his first outing as skipper, replied: "It's not about captain magic really, it's about doing the basic things and how you get on with the players. Those type of things kind of made my job a little easier."

Jamaica last won the title after defeating the Leewards by 10 runs at Kaiser Sports Ground in Discovery Bay under Courtney Walsh's leadership in the 1999 final.

Planned well

Asked what made the different this time around, Gayle, who along with the majority of his team returned home yesterday, said: "Nothing much really, but I think we planned well."

He added: "Everybody chipped in with their point of view, whether I like it or not. I have to give credit to the guys, everybody really played their part. It wasn't a one man show as most people think it was over the last couple of years."

Gayle, Brenton Parchment, Shawn Findlay, Danza Hyatt, Brendon Nash, Tamar Lambert, Carlton Baugh Jr., Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Andrew Richardson, Donovan Sinclair, Nikita Miller and Xaiver Marshall were the players who returned home yesterday.

Three members of the Jamaican party were left behind. They are coach Junior Bennett, trainer David Bernard Sr. and player Krishmar Santokie.

Shawn Findlay, who was named Best Fielder of the Final Four, said he just did the basics and that led to him be successful. He also made a valuable 67 in the semi-final against Guyana.

"Catching and fielding, stopping the ball is basic in cricket and that's what I did."

He added: "It was always a team effort. We went out to play and win and that's what we did."

Nash, voted the Best Bowler of the Final Four, had mixed feelings about his performance.

"I'm very disappointed with my batting," Nash said. "The bowling was a plus, the wickets probably suited me and the fielding was strong as well."

Taylor, who was voted Man of the Match for taking 3-37 and scoring 18 towards the end of Jamaica's innings, was a bit disappointed with his personal contribution.

"I am not totally satisfied. I'm going back to do some work in St. Elizabeth.

"Before I left, I we knew if we reached the final we'd have five games to play, so I was looking to average at least three wickets per game, which would work out to 15. I ended up with 11, so I fell short by four."