Stephen Fleming
FullnameStephen Paul Fleming
Birth date1 April 1973 (age 53)
Birth placeChristchurch, New Zealand
Height188 cm
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium-slow
RoleTop-order batsman
Internationaltrue
CountryNew Zealand
Internationalspan1994–2008
Testdebutdate19 March
Testdebutyear1994
TestdebutagainstIndia
Testcap188
Lasttestdate22 March
Lasttestyear2008
LasttestagainstEngland
Odidebutdate25 March
Odidebutyear1994
OdidebutagainstIndia
Odicap88
Lastodidate24 April
Lastodiyear2007
LastodiagainstSri Lanka
Odishirt7
T20idebutdate17 February
T20idebutyear2005
T20idebutagainstAustralia
T20icap3
Lastt20idate26 December
Lastt20iyear2006
Lastt20iagainstSri Lanka
Club 1Canterbury
Year 11991/92–1999/00
Club 2Wellington
Year 22000/01–2008/09
Club 3Middlesex
Year 32001
Club 4Yorkshire
Year 42003
Club 5Nottinghamshire
Year 52005–2007
Club 6Chennai Super Kings
Year 62008
Columns4
Column 1Test
Column 2ODI
Column 3FC
Column 4LA
Matches 1111
Matches 2280
Matches 3247
Matches 4460
Runs 17,172
Runs 28,037
Runs 316,409
Runs 414,019
Bat avg 140.06
Bat avg 232.40
Bat avg 343.87
Bat avg 435.13
100s/50s 19/46
100s/50s 28/49
100s/50s 335/93
100s/50s 422/86
Top score 1274*
Top score 2134*
Top score 3274*
Top score 4139*
Deliveries 1–
Deliveries 229
Deliveries 3102
Deliveries 435
Wickets 1–
Wickets 21
Wickets 30
Wickets 42
Bowl avg 1–
Bowl avg 228.00
Bowl avg 3–

Stephen Paul Fleming (born 1 April 1973) is a cricket coach and former captain of the New Zealand national cricket team. He was a left-handed opening batter and an occasional right arm slow medium bowler. He is New Zealand's second-most capped Test cricketer with 111 appearances. He is also the team's longest-serving and most successful captain with 28 test victories and led the team to win the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy, the team's first International Cricket Council trophy. Fleming captained New Zealand in the first ever Twenty20 International against Australia in 2005.

Fleming retired from international cricket on 26 March 2008. He played in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings and became the team's coach in 2009. He is the team's current head coach and has coached them to five IPL and two Champions League T20 titles. He also serves as the head coach of other Super Kings franchises, Joburg Super Kings in the SA20 and Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket. He served as the coach of Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League from 2015 to 2019. Fleming was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to cricket, in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Early and personal life

Fleming was born on 1 April 1973 in Christchurch to Pauline Fleming and Gary Kirk.[1] Pauline raised him as a single mother, and he did not meet his father until he was 16. Fleming played rugby for Cashmere High like his father.[2]

On 9 May 2007, Fleming married his long-term partner Kelly Payne in a ceremony in Wellington. The couple have a daughter, born in 2006,[3] a son born 2008 and another daughter born 2011.

Domestic career

Fleming has played county cricket in England for Middlesex, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.[1] He captained Nottinghamshire to County Championship victory in 2005, their first Championship title in 18 years.[4]

International career

A left-handed batsman, Fleming made his test debut in March 1994 in the home series against India winning the Man of the Match award on debut after scoring 92.[5] He made his ODI debut on 25 March 1994 in the first match of the ODI series that followed and scored an unbeaten 90.[6] In England's tour of New Zealand in 1996–97, he scored his maiden test century in the first test at Auckland.[7] In the third Test of the series, he took over the captaincy from Lee Germon becoming New Zealand's youngest captain at 23 years and 321 days.[8] He led the New Zealand team to a bronze medal in the 1998 Commonwealth Games.[9]

Fleming led the team to win the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy, which was New Zealand's first ICC trophy.[10] Fleming became New Zealand's most successful test captain in September 2000 with a victory over Zimbabwe which was the 12th win under his captaincy overtaking Geoff Howarth and finished with 28 wins, the most by a New Zealand captain.[11] Fleming's scored his best ODI score with an unbeaten 134 to help New Zealand beat hosts South Africa in the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Chasing a rain adjusted target of 229 off 39 overs, Fleming hit 134 off just 132 deliveries as New Zealand cruised to a 9-wicket victory.[12] In February 2005, Fleming captained New Zealand in the first ever Twenty20 International against Australia.[13] In the second Test between New Zealand and South Africa at Cape Town in April 2006, Fleming scored his 3rd Test double-century and became the first New Zealander to achieve this feat.[14]

On 25 October 2006, Fleming captained his country for the 194th time in an ODI overtaking Arjuna Ranatunga for most matches as a captain and finished with 218 games as a captain, a record which has since been eclipsed only by Ricky Ponting.[15] He captained the team in the 2007 World Cup and scored 353 runs at an average of 39.22, leading the team to the semi-finals.[16] On 24 April 2007, Fleming resigned as captain in a post-match press conference held after the semi-Final defeat to Sri Lanka.[17] In September 2007, Fleming was replaced by Daniel Vettori as the New Zealand captain. Fleming confirmed his retirement from the New Zealand team at the end of England's 2008 tour of New Zealand to spend more time with his family, and to play for the Indian Premier League.[18] Fleming scored over 7000 runs in test cricket and took over 170 catches, the third highest Test aggregate for a non-wicket keeper.[19][1]

IPL career

Fleming was acquired by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for US$350,000 for the inaugural season of Indian Premier League.[20] He played just one season and scored 196 runs in ten matches with CSK finishing as runners-up.[21][22]

Post-retirement

Fleming was appointed as the head coach of Chennai Super Kings in 2009 when he retired as a player.[23] Under his coaching, CSK won the 2010 season and qualified for Champions League Twenty20.[24] Chennai won the 2010 Champions league.[25] Fleming coached CSK to its second consecutive IPL title in 2011 and its second Champions League Twenty20 title in 2014.[26][27]

Following the two-year suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, two new franchises Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions were established for the 2016 Indian Premier League season. Supergiants appointed Fleming as the head coach.[28] Fleming returned to Chennai Super Kings for the 2018 season.[29] Fleming coached CSK to its third IPL title in 2018.[30] Fleming led CSK to the title again in 2021 and 2023 IPL.[26][31] CSK became the most successful IPL franchise with five title wins and ten final appearances during his stint as head coach.[32] He was appointed as the head coach of other Super Kings franchises, Joburg Super Kings of SA20 in 2022 and Texas Super Kings of Major League Cricket in 2023.[33]

Business interests

Fleming has been involved in setting up CricHQ with the company's CEO Simon Baker and former New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum. Fleming is one of the investors and a director in the company. In June 2015, the company raised US$10m from Singapore private equity firm Tembusu Partners.[34]

Playing style

Fleming was an elegant left handed batter and played shots such as the flick off the pads, straight drive, cover drive and cut shots.[35] He was also a prolific slip catcher and was particularly noted for his captaincy, having been praised by Shane Warne as the "best captain in world cricket".[36]

Statistics

Centuries

Fleming, a left-handed batsman, has made 17 centuries in international cricket – nine in Test matches and eight in One Day Internationals – and sits ninety-sixth in the list of century-makers in international cricket.[37]

Test
Test centuries scored by Stephen Fleming[38]
No.ScoreOpponentPos.Inn.VenueDateResultRef
1129England41Eden Park, Auckland24 January 1997Drawn[39]
2174*SL33R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo27 May 1998Won[40]
3105Australia41WACA Ground, Perth30 November 2001Drawn[41]
4130WIN31Kensington Oval, Bridgetown21 June 2002Won[42]
5274*SL31Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo25 April 2003Drawn[43]
6192Pakistan31Seddon Park, Hamilton19 December 2003Drawn[44]
7117England21Trent Bridge, Nottingham4 June 2004Lost[45]
8202Bangladesh31M. A. Aziz Stadium, Chattogram26 October 2004Won[46]
9262SA31Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town27 April 2006Drawn[47]
ODI
ODI centuries scored by Stephen Fleming[48]
No.ScoreOpponentPos.VenueDateResultRef
1106*WIN4Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain29 March 1996Won[49]
2116*Australia4Melbourne Cricket Ground21 January 1998Won[50]
3111*Australia4McLean Park, Napier12 February 1998Won[51]
4134*SA2New Wanderers, Johannesburg16 February 2003Won (D/L)[52]
5115*Pakistan2Lancaster Park, Christchurch10 January 2004Won[53]
6108SA2Lancaster Park, Christchurch17 February 2004Won[54]
7106England2Brisbane Cricket Ground6 February 2007Lost[55]
8102Bangladesh2Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound2 April 2007Won[56]

Captaincy

Fleming had captained New Zealand in 303 matches including 80 Test matches, 218 ODIs and 5 T20Is, a New Zealand record and the third highest ever.[57][11][58]

Fleming captaincy record[57][11][59]
TypeMatchesWonLostDrawnTiedNo resultWin %
Test802827250035.00
ODI21898106011344.95
T20I52201040.00

Records and achievements

Tests
  • Most wins by a New Zealand captain (28)[60]
  • Second most number of matches as captain (80)[60]
  • Third most runs for New Zealand (7172)[61]
  • Third most matches for New Zealand (111)[61]
  • Most fifties for New Zealand (46)[61]
ODIs
  • Most wins by a New Zealand captain (98)[15]
  • Second most number of matches as captain (218)[15]
  • Third most runs as captain (6295)[62]
  • Most matches for New Zealand (279)[63]
  • Second most runs for New Zealand (8007)[63]
  • Second most fifties for New Zealand (49)[63]
Combined
  • Third most international matches as captain (303)[64]
  • First non-wicket keeper to take 300 catches in international matches[65]

Honors

Fleming was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to cricket, in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours.[66]

Player

New Zealand
Nottinghamshire

Coach

Chennai Super Kings

Controversies

In 1995, Fleming was caught and admitted to smoking marijuana with teammates Matthew Hart and Dion Nash while on tour at their hotel.[74]

References

  1. ^ "Stephen Fleming, profile". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Fleming's father comes out of the shadows". The Age. 7 November 2004. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  3. ^ Shepherd, Nicola (12 May 2007). "Fleming goes all out to wed in secret". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Frizzell County Championship 2005 Points Table". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  5. ^ "Only Test, Hamilton, March 19 - 23, 1994, India tour of New Zealand". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
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  45. ^ "3rd Test, Nottingham, June 10-13, 2004, New Zealand tour of England". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  46. ^ "2nd Test, Chattogram, October 26-29, 2004, New Zealand tour of Bangladesh". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  47. ^ "New Zealand tour of South Africa, 2005/06 – 2nd Test". ESPNcricinfo. Archived 17 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
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  49. ^ "2nd ODI, Port of Spain, March 29, 1996, New Zealand tour of West Indies". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
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  54. ^ "2nd ODI (D/N), Christchurch, February 17, 2004, South Africa tour of New Zealand". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  55. ^ "12th Match (D/N), Brisbane, February 06, 2007, Commonwealth Bank Series". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  56. ^ "31st Match, Super Eights, North Sound, April 02, 2007, ICC World Cup". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
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  58. ^ "Most matches as captain". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
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  65. ^ "Records/Combined Test, ODI and T20I records /Fielding records/Most catches in career". ESPNcricinfo. Archived 28 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  66. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2011". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
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  73. ^ "Final, 2014, Champions League Twenty20". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  74. ^ "Fleming caught out for a smoke". The New Zealand Herald. 6 November 2004. Retrieved 25 June 2010.