They overcame the blues against New South Wales in the group stages, they quelled the flight of the Eagles in the Super Eights and on Thursday, Trinidad &Tobago survived the bite of the Cape Cobras to book their berth in the inaugural Champions League T20 final.

So far in the tournament, it’s been the juniors in the team who have danced and sung their way into the headlines, but chasing a big total in the high-pressure semi-final, it was Darren Ganga and Dwayne Bravo — the two most recognisable faces in the team before the tournament began — who put their hands up with an unbeaten 93-run partnership at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

They have been the flair team here, entertaining the crowds before and after the three Indian teams made early exits; but it has been their tenacity to fight their way out of difficult situations that has stood out about T&T’s dream run.

And just when the men from the Caribbean seemed to have dug themselves a hole as they chased down 176, Bravo brought the smiles back with an unbeaten 34-ball 58, including four fours and three sixes.

T&T had started the second half of the match in customary cavalier fashion, as Adrian Barath (29 off 16 balls) went after Monde Zondeki. But a mix-up between him and William Perkins began the temporary slump for the unbeaten Trinidadians. Barath fell LBW to JP Duminy, before Lendl Simmons was dismissed by Justin Ontong as they were reduced to 85 for three.

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