Lee inspires Champions League win

Brett Lee's thunderous 48, caught off the last ball of the innings, rescued the Blues from 83 for six to single-handedly post a strong total

Buy this photo

New South Wales are the inaugural winners of the Champions League Twenty20, after Brett Lee almost single-handedly turned around their final against Trinidad & Tobago to set up a 41-run victory in Hyderabad.

T&T had looked to have gained the advantage when seamers Ravi Rampaul and Dwayne Bravo engineered a top-order collapse and left the Blues in danger of being bowled out for a total under 100.

But Lee rescued the innings with an excellent 48 and Steven Smith contributed 33 as the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash winners, tottering at 83 for six at one stage, recovered nicely to reach a decent 159 for nine.

Lee then claimed two top-order wickets as T&T faltered at the start of their chase and although several T&T batsmen got starts, they never recovered and were bowled out for 118 in 15.5 overs.

David Warner and Phil Hughes, the most successful and destructive opening pair in the tournament, started with a whimper.

Warner was just beginning to settle into his customary aggressive role when he lost Hughes – bowled by Rampaul for just three.

Bravo then snared Warner, caught brilliantly by Dave Mohammed at backward point, in an expensive first over and followed up with the prize scalp of skipper Simon Katich (16) in his next.

NSW’s middle-order then fell apart, and they had slipped to 83 for six when Lee joined Steven Smith at the crease.

Smith had eased the pressure with consecutive blows off Kieron Pollard before Lee launched into attack.

The Australia fast bowler’s innings was peppered with an astonishing five sixes and a lone boundary as he hauled NSW past the 150-run mark.

Trinidad's bowlers, led by Ravi Rampaul, sent shudders through New South Wales' batting order prior to Lee

Buy this photo

Lee was dismissed off the final delivery of the innings, attempting to reach his half-century with another big shot off Rampaul, but only hitting straight to William Perkins at deep cover.

T&T’s reply followed a similar pattern with Lee providing early breakthroughs.

Perkins’ unfathomable attempt to carve Lee over cover from the second ball of the innings ended with his stumps splattered, and the same bowler then grasped a stunning return catch to get rid of Lendl Simmons.

Leg-spinner Smith, who shared the new ball, claimed Adrian Barath in his first over and then Daren Ganga for 19 to sever a fifth-wicket stand with Denesh Ramdin (16) just when the pair were beginning to look dangerous.

The stage was set for Pollard, who had destroyed the Blues in a league match, to rescue his team from similar circumstances.

Pollard managed three singles from the first six balls he faced before smacking Doug Bollinger for his first six.

He clubbed Hauritz for two more in his second, but eventually skied to Lee on the long-off boundary, who took a good catch tumbling back.

The Stanford 20/20 champions needed 47 from the last five overs, but with few wickets intact NSW struck blows in quick succession to etch their name on the trophy.