Brett Lee has been one of the keys to Australia's domination in world cricket over the last decade.
Brett Lee has been one of the keys to Australia's domination in world cricket over the last decade.
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AS-LEE STAR: NSW Blues' Brett Lee celebrates his side's Champions League triumph over Trinidad & Tobago in Hyderabad last night. pic/suresh kk |
But last night was slightly different. One, Lee was donning the light blues instead of Australia's yellow or green since he was representing his provincial side New South Wales Blues playing the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 final against an on-song Trinidad and Tobago outfit. And two, more than damaging the opposition with the leather, Lee demolished the opposition with the willow first. Coming in to bat when the NSW Blues were stuttering at 83 for six in the 12th over after most of the top order batsmen threw their wickets away, Lee blazed his way to a 30-ball 48. When he eventually holed out to William Perkins off Ravi Rampaul off the last ball of the innings, the damage had been done. Lee's five hits over the ropes meant instead of chasing 130-odd to win, the Caribbeans were set 160 to win.
But Lee wasn't done yet. He struck once each in his first overs with the ball to put the Blues right on top. T & T were always chasing to get back into the match then on.
And when the fiery Kieron Pollard (26 off 15) the last hope for Trinidad and Tobago tried to hoick Nathan Hauritz out of the park once too often, the ball went way up in the air. And one man who waited and waited for it to come down and latch on to it was again Brett Lee.
Katich thrilledIn the end, in the hunt of NSW's 159 for seven, Trinidad and Tobago were bowled out for 118 in the 16th over.
"You just couldn't keep him out of the game tonight," NSW skipper Simon Katich told a post-match media conference. "It was a sort of a day when everything he did came good."
Lee, who forged a crucial 49-run stand for the seventh wicket along with Steve Smith (33 off 26) for the seventh wicket, admitted that his knock boosted his confidence. "If you score runs batting first, it obviously helps you when you bowl. And that is what happened. It was important for me to spend some time in the middle. But somehow, I enjoyed my bowling effort (2 for 10) more."
T & T skipper Daren Ganga, with his head held high, also felt Lee's bowling made more difference. "We thought 160 was a decent target, but crucial wickets in Lee's opening spell dented our hopes,"
Ganga said after the 41-run defeat.
