Ntini's sendoff

The pitch at the Moses Mahida stadium yesterday was surprisingly timid and sub-continental in nature. This was especially so considering it was a farewell match of one of the most celebrated and well liked fast bowlers of the modern era. The nature of the pitch afforded the likes of Rahul Sharma and Suresh Raina – both a little iffy against short, pacy stuff – to plonk their front foot forward and hit through or across the line.

But the farewell that Ntini got was memorable, notwithstanding the punishment that his bowling got. The crowd cheered him on every ball and he was given the opportunity to field on all sides of the stadium in order to make the farewell more personal. There were lots of emotional and celebratory scenes, both before and after the match and Ntini himself was thoroughly involved throughout.