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There is hardly much drama about the way the Australians play their cricket but if there is one art that the men from Down Under have mastered over the years, it is winning tournaments. So while T&T started as popular favourites, it was a clinical New South Wales Blues side who walked away with the inaugural Champions League T20 trophy on a glitzy Friday night.
There are fewer foreign sportsmen who have captured the imagination of the Indian public like Brett Lee has over the years — both on and off the field — and there were no surprises when the New South Wales paceman received the loudest cheers as the two line-ups were announced. Lee didn’t disappoint the crowd as he produced a stunning all-round performance, emerging as the star not only of the day but of the entire tournament.
T&T have had little trouble in chasing down totals, and the rum bottles would have started to pile up back home as they restricted the Blues to 159 for nine in their 20 overs. But a fired-up Lee who proved to be the first obstacle in their path, producing a fiery two-over burst with the new ball.
William Perkins had exchanged a few words with Lee when the two teams met the last time, but didn’t spend too much at the crease to even exchange a smile. The opener’s attempt to hit Lee into the stands was in vain as his stumps were knocked down off the second ball. Skipper Simon Katich then pulled off a surprise by bringing in leg-spinner Steven Smith, who had earlier scored a crucial 26-ball 33. Adrian Barath smashed two fours and a six, but the diminutive opener edged the last ball of the second over as T&T slumped to 21 for two. Lee then got rid off Lendl Simmons and ended with a first spell of two for 10.
Captain Ganga and Dwayne Bravo, the stars of the semi-final, looked like repeating their heroics but flattered to deceive as the onus fell on the big-hitting Kieron Pollard. The giant Trinidadian did manage a couple of monstrous sixes, but once he holed out off Nathan Hauritz, it was clear that the title was heading towards Australia.
Earlier in the evening, the Blues batsmen had failed to impress until a crucial partnership between Steven Smith and Lee, who top-scored with a 31-ball 48, gave them a fighting total. In the end, it wasn’t the rhythmic Calypso but a noisy Australian harmony that echoed in the stadium as the Champions League came to an end.
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