Super Cooper wins CPL final for Knight Riders

It was billed to be the best ever Caribbean Premier League (CPL) final and few would deny that it wasn't. In front of a packed Brian Lara Academy in Tarouba, the Trinbago Knight Riders won their second Hero Caribbean Premier League title in dramatic style against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in a match that went down to the wire and could have gone either way.

In a final featuring T20 stars such as Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis and Sunil Narine, it was Kevon Cooper who proved the hero with the ball and more decisively with the bat to take the hosts to victory by three wickets with an over to spare.

Chasing a modest 136 for victory, the Knight Riders struggled badly and needed 33 from 18 balls with Cooper and Denesh Ramdin at the crease and six wickets down. TKR needed a super knock from one of the two and the man nicknamed 'Super Cooper' during a past Indian Premier League (IPL) stint duly obliged.

He hit a whirlwind 29 from 14 balls including two fours and two sixes to swing the match decisively in TKR's favour.

Australian Ben Hilfenhaus felt the brunt of his bat, conceding two fours and a six in the 19th over which went for a game-high 22 runs. Although it was Ramdin who hit the winning run, Cooper's brilliance was the difference on the night.

An emotional Cooper dropped to the ground and started crying immediately as his teammates ran onto the field to celebrate. Ramdin finished on 26 not out.

Earlier, Bravo won the toss and decided to bowl and TKR were in full control for the first 19 overs. The hosts strangled the Patriots batting with incisive bowling and inspired fielding. But a poor final over from Bravo went for 21, battered for two sixes and a four by Mohammad Nabi (18 off five balls) as the Patriots posted a competitive 135 for six in their 20 overs.

Top scoring for the Patriots was Carlos Brathwaite with 30 not out from 25 deliveries. Cooper took two for 12.