CricketArchive

Stephen Fleming
by CricketArchive Staff Reporter


Player:SP Fleming

DateLine: 27th April 2009

 

Graceful and determined, Stephen Fleming will go down as his country's most successful captain and one of their best batsman after an international career that spanned 15 years. He owns a series of records, including the first New Zealander to pass 7000 Test runs, a landmark reached during his final series against England in 2008. During his last innings, in Napier, he did just enough to lift his career average over 40.

 

A stint with Middlesex in 2001 laid the foundations for a successful re-evaluation of his batting methods where the inability to convert half-centuries to centuries did no justice to his quality. But after a breakout innings of 134 not out to steer New Zealand to a World Cup victory over South Africa, along with another spell in county cricket, with Yorkshire, Fleming confirmed his greater batting consistency with a career-highest 274 not out against Sri Lanka in the first Test of their 2003 series.

 

He made his 100th Test appearance, against South Africa although failed to mark the occasion with an innings of substance. A wonderful 262 followed at Cape Town but New Zealand were unable to win the match. The World Cup in the West Indies was Fleming's fourth as a player and third as captain and he led New Zealand to another semi-final. That was his final act as one-day skipper, though, as he announced he was standing down from that half of his role but wanted to continue leading the Test side.

 

In September, he announced he would stay on as a New Zealand Test player but retired from ODIs, and at the same time was relieved of the Test captaincy after a decade in charge, in favour of Daniel Vettori. He announced his international retirement and the series against England was his last.

 


LATEST SCORES

| Privacy Policy | FAQs | Contact |
Copyright © 2003-2024 CricketArchive