The Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel's impressive home form continued yesterday as they held their nerve to clinch the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 title for the first time with a tense 20-run win over last year's winners Barbados Tridents in front a packed Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain.
The victory completed a remarkable comeback for Dwayne Bravo's team who clawed their way back from the bottom of the standings to eventually win the title.
The hosts, driven by passionate home support, were building momentum leading up to the final, defeating inaugural winners Jamaica Tallawahs and two-time runners up Guyana Amazon Warriors in the two semi-finals before upsetting Kieron Pollard's team.
The crowd was buzzing hours before the match bowled off and were anticipating something great from the Red Steel and Bravo's men delivered just that. A clinical effort with the bat saw the host post 178 for five before their bowling attack, missing Jacques Kallis, who was injured while batting, restricted the Tridents to 158 for four.
Batting first, Kallis (eight) led the Red Steel charge, hitting back to back fours off Ravi Rampaul to go past 300 runs in the tournament before being bowled by Robin Petersen. But the Red Steel rebounded with Kamran Akmal (60) and Cameron Delport (50) both hitting half centuries in a 102-run second wicket stand that set the platform the home team's big total.
But it was not all smooth sailing for the Steel. Akmal played out a maiden off Petersen while Delport also went into a shell in the middle overs. But Akmal didn't allow the pressure to build up, smashing Ashley Nurse for a six and a four in the eighth over to get the fans back on their feet.
Both batsmen were given lifelines and made them count as Akmal took 14 off Rampaul in the 14th over before Delport smacked Petersen for two sixes in the next over which went for 15 runs.
Pollard slowed the action down, striking twice in the 16th over to remove the set batsmen be the Red Steel skipper Dwayne Bravo came out to end the innings on a high.
He hit Rampaul for a six and a four in the 18th over which cost 24 runs, taking the score from 136 to 160 but Rayad Emrit and Jason Holder kept things tight towards the end to ensure the home side did not go past 200.
A flurry of boundaries from Dwayne Smith and Steven Taylor gave the visitors just the start they wanted. Taylor hit Samuel Badree for six off the final ball of the first over before Smith carved out two fours off Dwayne Bravo's second over.
Smith hit Badree for 17 in the next over as the Tridents raced to 41 without loss after three overs.
Johan Botha struck with his first deliver to send back Taylor lbw for 20 but Smith sent the bowler to the ropes for four and a six to keep the Barbados-based franchise on course. But Sulieman Benn and Derone Davis and Dwayne Bravo pulled kept the Red Steel in contention.
Smith (49) went after short wide ball from Benn and played one back onto his stumps the score moving onto to 85 for two in the tenth over. Steven Taylor (20), Kyle Corbin (20) and Misbah-ul-Haq (21) took the score past 100 and Red Steel even gave Kieron Pollard a life when he was dropped by Johan Botha off Dwayne Bravo towards the end but the Tridents could not accelerate enough to go past the Red Steel. Needing 26 off the last over with Pollard still at the wicket, the visitors could only muster five off Benn.
