Lee stars in NSW triumph

The fairytale didn't quite happen. Trinidad & Tobago - no doubt willed on by the neutrals (and NSW haters) - surprised many by reaching the final of the Champions League but fell to a Brett Lee inspired NSW side in yesterdays final.

Lee starred with bat and ball, hitting 43 out of their far from imposing total of 159 (having been 83-6 at one stage) before he struck twice early on with an excellent spell with the new ball that Trinidad & Tobago never quite recovered from and they fell 41 runs short.

It was a tournament though that seems to have captured the imagination, in contrast to the IPL which - on a worldwide scale - has struggled to captivate, and their representatives faltered badly in this tournament. Contrast this to the 'non-franchise' sides, turning in far more convincing 'team' performances and the representation from teams worldwide made it a great spectacle.

It will now be interesting to see the effect this tournament has on the domestic Twenty20 here in England as counties - having seen the potential riches on offer - really ramp up their interest as they clamour for a position in the final that will secure their passage to the next tournament.