Stephen Paul Fleming
Stephen Paul Fleming, (born 1 April 1973) is a former New Zealand cricketer, and captain of the New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, in Test and one-day cricket. Known for his astute tactical abilities, he is New Zealand’s second-most capped test player with 111 test appearances, longest-serving and most successful captain, having led the side to 28 victories and having won Test match series’ against India, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He retired from international cricket on 26 March 2008. Fleming played in the 2008 Indian Premier League for the Chennai Super Kings after being signed for US$350,000 and became the team’s coach from 2009. In February 2015 he was signed as coach of the Melbourne Stars of the Big Bash League.
He was particularly noted for his captaincy, having been praised from the likes of Shane Warne as the “best captain in world cricket” and most recently, Graeme Swann who said that Fleming is one of the two true leaders that he’s ever seen, alongside Andrew Strauss.
Records:
International records:
Most capped ODI Captain (218 matches as of 24 April 2007)
The most catches in Tests by a fielder in a calendar year with 28 in 1997
National records:
Most Test runs and matches by a New Zealander (7172 and 111)
Most ODI runs and matches by a New Zealander (8007 and 279)
Most catches by a New Zealander in Test and ODI cricket (171 and 132)
Most capped Test Captain for New Zealand (80 matches)
Most capped ODI Captain for New Zealand (218 matches)
Personal life:
Fleming’s birth was a result of a brief relationship between his mother Pauline Fleming and Gary Kirk. Pauline raised him as a single mother, and he did not meet his father until he was 16. Gary Kirk had always maintained a keen interest in his son’s progress. Both Gary Kirk and Stephen Fleming played senior rugby and captained Cashmere High’s first XV.
On 9 May 2007, Fleming married his long term partner Kelly Payne in a ceremony held in Wellington. The couple had a daughter Tayla born in 2006 and a son called Cooper in 2008. He recently had to return to New Zealand just before the Semi Finals of the IPL tournament in India for the birth of his second child, Cooper. His father was President of the South Christchurch Cricket Club. He was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to cricket.
Career statistics:
Test
Matches: 111
Runs scored: 7172
100s/50s: 9/46
Top score: 274*
ODI
Matches: 280
Runs scored: 8037
100s/50s: 8/49
Top score: 134*
