New South Wales romped to a 41-run victory over Trinidad and Tobago to become the inaugural winners of the Champions League and scoop the $2.5million prize money.

Although the margin of victory was large, the quality of cricket and entertainment was high with the match only dead as a spectacle once Brett Lee hovered under a high ball at long-on to dismiss the big-hitting Kieron Pollard.

It was one of two brilliant catches taken by Lee, who was both Man of the Match and Player of the Tournament after hitting 48 in the final and averaging an economy rate of just 3.76 runs per over during the competition.

His contribution in the final was crucial. Coming in with the Blues seemingly out of the match at 83 for six, Lee's 48 came from just 31 balls and helped his side to a par score of 159 for nine before he dismissed William Perkins and Lendl Simmons in his opening two overs to put Trinidad on the back foot.

The second of those wickets was a brilliant return catch that was somehow snaffled after Simmons had blasted the ball straight back at the fast bowler. With leg-spinner Steven Smith having Adrian Barath caught behind, Trini's top three were back in the dugout with just 21 on the board - a position from which they never really recovered.

Daren Ganga (19), Dwayne Bravo (17) and Denesh Ramdin (16) all kept the innings going and when Pollard began to smash the ball into the second tier on a regular basis the chase was very much on, as memories of last Friday's heroics flashed through the mind.

But having hit Nathan Hauritz back over his head for one of the biggest sixes in the tournament, Pollard was outfoxed as Hauritz held one back to force a mishit. As Lee shimmied underneath it on the boundary there was a universal feeling that this was the moment of the match, but the fast bowler held his nerve to end Trinidad's title hopes and they were all out for 118 five balls later.

It was just one of many excellent catches taken on a night when the fielders refused to feel the pressure - not a single chance went down as both sides showed why they were contesting the final.

That they were evenly matched was apparent in the way the clash swung from side to side. After a swift start the Blues slumped from 24 for none to 47 for four, and it took stern rearguard action from Lee and Steven Smith (33) to haul them back into the match.

In the end 159 was more than enough and the meaning of the victory was clear in the hopping huddle the Blues players formed as a disappointed Trinidad - who will pocket a $1.3million runners-up cheque - sat with their heads in their hands in the dugout.

Tristan Holme in Hyderabad