Australia tour of New Zealand - Feb 2016

[bigfluffylemon]

Aussies have tended to have triumphant final Tests at the SCG. Warne, McGrath, Waugh, anyway.

KP must have had the worst last Test ever. Among more obvious reasons, KP had the best end of career England average going into Sydney since Barrington, but slipped behind Boycott afterwards.

Kiwi bowlers have been very disappointing.

It amazed me that in over 100 years of test cricket, McCullum is the first captain to score a hundred in his final test. I always thought Waugh did, but it turns out it was a (match-saving) 80 - he didn't score a hundred in that farewell series.

I guess most captains stand down as captain after failure (personal or team), and a lot stand down from captaincy but play on, but still it is quite astonishing. In fact only ten captains have an aggregate of over 100 in their final match
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... view=match

[Arthur Crabtree]

Kim Hughes got a first baller in his last innings for Australia, against WI. He averaged ten while Australia lost the series (1984-5) and was dropped for Sydney where the Aussies won by an innings. Hughes never seemed to be having a nice time playing for Australia.

A wicket for Tim! As dialled up by GJ.

Smithy will get on with it.

[Toby F]

Two innings in a row where Khawaja doesn't get to 50. He'll be disappointed, he seemed to be going along fine.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hussain got a ton in his last innings, but had given up the captaincy the year before.

[bigfluffylemon]

Aussies have tended to have triumphant final Tests at the SCG. Warne, McGrath, Waugh, anyway.

KP must have had the worst last Test ever. Among more obvious reasons, KP had the best end of career England average going into Sydney since Barrington, but slipped behind Boycott afterwards.

When was the last good England player whose final match was announced ahead of time and was a fitting/victorious send off, rather than being dropped, ignominious defeat or career-curtailing injury? Colly in 2010-11 signing off with an Ashes win must be the last one. Before that probably Flintoff in 2009 - also an Ashes win (it was also Harmison's swansong, technically, but the only game he played that series, and he'd been in and out of the team since 2007 and only called in due to injury to other bowlers).

Tres, Strauss, Vaughan, KP, Trott, Prior, Panesar, Sidebottom, Bresnan, Swann, Hoggard, Giles, Thorpe, S Jones, G Jones, all went out on a pretty low note, and that's just players who played a signficant number of matches and left the game since 2005.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Is there a Sarfraz Nawaz out there for the Kiwis?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Alec Stewart had a farewell tour.

[bigfluffylemon]

Hussain got a ton in his last innings, but had given up the captaincy the year before.

True.

Before that Caddick went out having bowled England to victory in Sydney in 2003. That was pretty memorable.

[bigfluffylemon]

Alec Stewart had a farewell tour.

We're going back quite a bit now!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hussain got a ton in his last innings, but had given up the captaincy the year before.

True.

Before that Caddick went out having bowled England to victory in Sydney in 2003. That was pretty memorable.

He was still dropped though! He didn't retire, he was never picked again.

People used to retire earlier because cricket either was semi-pro, or wasn't enough to make players financially secure. Whereas now players go on for longer and run the risk of playing beyond their best. Even legends like SRT and BCL had their supporters counting the days towards the end. Though SRT scored a landmark ton in his last Test (or series anyway).

[Arthur Crabtree]

maybe Bell will come back and have a farewell at the Oval in a soft late summer twilight.

Can't see Cook being rushed out, though his overthrow from the ODI side was fraught.

[Toby F]

50 up for Burns. Hard to believe there was talk of dropping him for Marsh the older.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Fifty for Joe. Had a great Test.

Will they stay out at lunch? Don't think it's part of the regs.

[bigfluffylemon]

Fifty for Joe. Had a great Test.

Will they stay out at lunch? Don't think it's part of the regs.

Smith looks like he wants this over by lunch.

I didn't include Bell as he could well come back yet. True that Caddick was dropped rather than retired. Atherton officially retired after an Ashes defeat, which was probably fitting...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Rather an undignified end to Burns' innings there.

Should have gone off to lunch. This just feels like everyone wants to get off work early. Especially Ian Smith.