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Not With a Bang...

BoyBrumby

Englishman
...but with a whimper.

Sir Donald Bradman famously, as The Chasers song would have it "couldn't even score one run last time he played" & it turns out he's far from alone. HowSTAT! obligingly provides a list of those who share Sir Donald's misfortune. It includes such luminaries as Denis Compton, Bill Edrich, Mike Gatting, Tony Greig, Imran Khan, Brian Lara, Eddie Paynter, Garry Sobers, Cyril Washbrook & Frank Woolley. :-O

A bit of further digging shows WG Grace signed off with one as did David Gower and those bosom buddies Both & Boycs registered meagre half-dozens. It seems a lot of the great and good don't get to chose their own exits.

Can anyone else think of great players (I haven't touched on bowlers) who bade farewell to the grandest stage in a manner unbefitting what had gone before? Or, alternatively, those like Maurice Leyland (187) & Greg Chappell (182) who went out with a final flourish. :)
 

Noble One

International Vice-Captain
Great thread.

Leaving cricket unbefitting of a wonderful test cricketer for Australia was Ian Healy. For close to a decade and 119 test matches, Ian Healy was one of the finest wicketkeeper/batsman the game has ever seen. To end his career in a meaningless one off test match in Harare, Zimbabwae was not the send off worthy of acknowledging his wonderful contribution to Australian cricket.

Made 5 runs, and shelled a couple of catches. Next game in Brisbane was famously the debut of Adam Gilchrist.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
For going out in style, I still think that Hussain's farewell ton to win the game against NZ in 2004 was as good as it's got for our guys.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
For going out in style, I still think that Hussain's farewell ton to win the game against NZ in 2004 was as good as it's got for our guys.
Good shout, yes.

Although before he officially announced his retirement I seem to recall one or two unkind souls insinuating that he might've run out the current England skipper (then a callow debutant) with malice aforethought to protect his own spot when the then captain returned for the 2nd test. :ph34r:
 
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wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
The other example that will probably be his swann-song is Jones's fivefer at Trent Bridge in 2005.
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Great thread.

Bill Ponsford is one who knew how to both make a grand entrance AND take a a final bow - he scored 181 and 266 in his last two Tests, having scored 110 and 128 in his first two!
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
As for those who went out in a manner not befitting their greatness - the immortal Ranji scored just 19 runs in four innings in 1902, which proved to be his final contributions to Test cricket.
 

Fusion

Global Moderator
Inzi went out on a downer. Because of his poor showing in his final innings, Inzi dipped below the elite 50-average club (49.60). He also missed out on being Pakistan's leading all-time run scorer by a mere 7 runs.
 

stumpski

International Captain
Michael Atherton 13 and 9, at the Oval in 2001. Perhaps not a 'great' player in the accepted sense of the word, but deserved better for propping up England's top order for 12 years. I think it was Nick Hancock on They Think It's All Over who emphasised the importance of his batting: "it's often said, when Atherton fails England fail, and when Atherton succeeds ... England fail. " :laugh:
 

bagapath

International Captain
ganguly got a duck in his last test innings when he retired recently.

gavaskar played one of the greatest knocks in a losing cause when he made 96 in his last innings against pakistan. made 4 against eng in the world cup semi final which turned out to be his last ODI innings. as for first class cricket, made 188 in his last first class game against a MCC XI in the MCC bicent match at lords which was his only century in the head quarters. scored a duck in the second innings and rounded off his long FC career.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Michael Atherton 13 and 9, at the Oval in 2001. Perhaps not a 'great' player in the accepted sense of the word, but deserved better for propping up England's top order for 12 years. I think it was Nick Hancock on They Think It's All Over who emphasised the importance of his batting: "it's often said, when Atherton fails England fail, and when Atherton succeeds ... England fail. " :laugh:
Atherton's whole final calendar-year was utterly wretched. Same way his first had been (fortunately he played just a couple of Tests in 1989).
 

Noble One

International Vice-Captain
Allan Donalds' final test match. A torn hamstring, 1-72 from 15 over’s. Australia running away with the test match in scoring 652. Terrible way to end to the career of one of the finest and most fearsome bowlers the game has ever seen. Some of the most memorable moments in test cricket during the 90's came with Allan Donald bowling from one end.
 
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jeevan

International 12th Man
Mohinder Amarnath's last match was noted for being Hirwani's first. India won handsomely, on the back of the latter's 16 wickets. But Jimmy went for 3,1 with the bat, and was wicketless with the ball.
 

Ausage

Cricketer Of The Year
Fairly natural if you think about it. Even the best players decline in ability as time wears on, and more often than not they're "retiring" because the selectors have identified this and tapped them on the shoulder. A glorious final innings, would be a blip in the form of the player in these circumstances.

A fitting send off for me would be Steve Waugh's 80 at his home ground the SCG. So wanted him to get 100, but what can you do?
 

Noble One

International Vice-Captain
Fairly natural if you think about it. Even the best players decline in ability as time wears on, and more often than not they're "retiring" because the selectors have identified this and tapped them on the shoulder. A glorious final innings, would be a blip in the form of the player in these circumstances.

A fitting send off for me would be Steve Waugh's 80 at his home ground the SCG. So wanted him to get 100, but what can you do?
If ever a final innings characterised a players career it must have been Steve Waugh's final innings. Real back to the wall styled effort, almost turned a lost cause into an improbable victory. Anil Kumble was really testing Waugh in that final innings, almost came through for a hundred. Can still remember the cheers of the crowd as he left the SCG.
 

bagapath

International Captain
If ever a final innings characterised a players career it must have been Steve Waugh's final innings. Real back to the wall styled effort, almost turned a lost cause into an improbable victory. Anil Kumble was really testing Waugh in that final innings, almost came through for a hundred. Can still remember the cheers of the crowd as he left the SCG.
the fact that he got out for 80 and not a hundred makes it even more special. like gavaskar's 96 is probably the greatest farewell knock by an indian not just because it was in a losing cause on a treacherous pitch, but also because it came so tantalizingly close to a hundred and failed by just a whisker; the human element in a super human effort makes it even more endearing.

imagine bradman hitting the first ball from hollies for a four and then getting bowled in his last innings! he would have ended with a perfect 100 average. it wont be as emotional a story as him getting out for a duck and left stranded on 99.94!
 
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SJS

Hall of Fame Member
Okay here is a list of some great batsmen who went out with a whimper.

1. George Headley

  • Had scored 2135 runs at 66.7 in his first 19 Tests all before WW2.
  • After the war he played two Tests against England scoring 29 and 7* at home in 1947-48.
  • He played again against the weak Indian touring side next season and scored just 2.
  • Five years later he compounded his agony by playing against the visiting England side and scored 16 and 1.

In 5 Tests spread over six years he had managed just 55 runs at under 14 to bring his career average to 60.83.
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
2. Graham Pollock

  • On 5th March 1970, Pollock played his last test match (of course he did not know it then)
  • He had till then scored 2251 runs at 64.31 in just 22 Tests.
  • In the first innings Gleeson had him caught behind for just 1 run having faced six deliveries
  • In the second knock he stuck around for 23 deliveries before he was clean bowled by Laurence Mayne for just 4.

Another player with great career figures had failed to reach double figures in his last Test innings.
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
3. Garfield Sobers

Sobers did not fail to reach double figures in his last Test innings but his last two Tests did not constitute a great farewell to the game by the all time great.

In his last three innings he played in these two Tests Sobers scored 0 (3 balls), 0 (3 balls) and a 62 ball 20 to bring his average under 58 for the first time in over 40 Tests.

His last (and his only) ODI innings was also a duck !
 

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