Ricky Ponting gets guard of honour from South Africa before final innings

The South African team gives retiring Australia batsman Ricky Ponting a guard of honour before his final innings during the third Test at Perth Getty Images

Perth: Dec 3, 2012

Former Australia captain and the second-highest run-getter in Test cricket, Ricky Ponting, got a guard of honour from the visiting South Africa team apart from a standing ovation from the crowd as he entered a cricket ground for the last time in his illustrious career.

Ponting (37), a veteran of 168 Test matches, has 13,336 Test runs to his name prior to the Perth Test including 41 centuries with only India s Sachin Tendulkar scoring more.

Ponting thanked the WACA crowd by getting off the mark with one of his trademark pulls which raced to the deep mid-wicket fence. He was given a standing ovation again.

The reception Ponting got was reminiscent of the one Australia s and the world s greatest ever batsman, Don Bradman, received before his final innings against England in 1948. Bradman walked out to bat at The Oval needing only four runs to finish with a career average of 100.00. Apart from the loud ovation from the crowd, Bradman was greeted with three cheers from the England team. He was of course to be bowled for a duck by Eric Hollies.

Earlier on Day Four, Ponting delighted the Perth crowd by bowling an over during South Africa’s second innings.

Click here for the photo gallery of Ponting’s final hurrah