Former player turned coach guiding re-awakening of KC cricket

The sporting landscape of the famed purples of Kingston College (KC) has echoed with greatness for nearly a century.

From the days of the elegant stroke play of J.K. Holt to the thunderous pace of Michael Holding, the 'Fortis' fraternity has long been a cathedral of Jamaican and West Indian cricketing talent. 

Yet, for the better part of the last two decades, silverware have been noticeable missing from their trophy cabinet.

That narrative has been emphatically rewritten.

In a stunning revival that has sent joy and optimism through the local schoolboy cricket circuit, Kingston College recently secured back-to-back Inter-Secondary Schools U14 and U16 titles in 2025 and 2026, marking the school's first taste of significant championship glory in decades.

 While the school’s last U19 crown came 26 years ago, the current wave of success suggests the ‘Fortis’ spirit is finally translating into cricketing dominance once more.

This resurgence is the brainchild of head coach Shane Brooks, a man who took over a programme on its knees in 2022.

“The programme had basically died right after COVID or just before COVID,” Brooks revealed in an exclusive interview with The Gleaner. 

“I started with a three-year plan. I put a structure in place and expect the team to buy in. And they did.”

Brooks’ blueprint was methodical. Year one saw the team reach the quarterfinals. Year two brought semifinal and final appearances, but the trophy case remained bare. 

Year three, however, brought the breakthrough with the U14 and U16 titles. Now, in 2026, they have defended both crowns.

“This is the fruit of a four-year programme,” Brooks stated. “It is currently bearing some amount of fruit. Our approach is broken down into components that include theory and practical learning, and the guys have taken to it nicely."

The architect of this turnaround is quick to deflect credit, pointing to a unified support system involving Principal Dave Myrie, Manager Kerry Scott, and support from old boys’ chapters in the US.

 However, a key addition to the backroom staff for the 2025-26 season has been former West Indies batsman Robert Samuels. The former KC great, who played alongside some of the school's legends, has returned to impart his wisdom.

“Robert joined us, and right away he fit in, adding his wisdom and knowledge,” Brooks said. “It’s a total team effort. The guys buy into the mindset that we need to be more knowledgeable than our opponents, stick to simple plans, and do the right things more consistently.”

That consistency is the bedrock of the new KC philosophy. Brooks is leaning heavily on the legacy of the late, legendary coach Roy McLean, under whom KC became the winningest schoolboy cricket team in history.

“I think Roy McLean is the greatest coach I’ve ever come across,” Brooks admitted. “His wisdom and knowledge we are trying to lean on. Since he left the KC programme, it has clearly had some very challenging days.”

The challenge now is to bridge the gap from the junior ranks to the U19 level and restore the fear factor that was a hallmark of the McLean era.

“What we hope to achieve is to create that dynasty that we had in the era he was in charge,” Brooks declared. 

“Gone are the days when people play KC and see it as a regular fixture. Now, you have to put thought into how you will play against KC.”

With the U14 and U16 foundation laid, Brooks is setting his sights on the ultimate prize.

“We’re looking to dominate for the next five to 10 years,” he said. “Our most immediate plan is over the next three years. We’re looking to win at least three to five titles, and then we take it from there.”

The revival brings to mind the golden era of KC cricket. The school won its first Sunlight Cup in 1941 and pulled off a historic three-peat in the late 1990s (1997, 1998, 1999) under McLean. 

The school’s lineage of producing Test cricketers is the envy of the island, boasting names like Collie Smith, Easton McMorris, and the aforementioned Holding and Samuels.

For now, the focus is on the present. The young ‘Purples’ are playing with a swagger reminiscent of their forebears, and it is safe to say that the sleeping giant of Jamaican schoolboy cricket is not just awake; it is roaring.