
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.