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Stephen Fleming
Stephen Fleming ONZM (cropped).jpg
Fleming in 2011
Personal information
Full name
Stephen Paul Fleming
Born (1973-04-01) 1 April 1973 (age 51)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Height 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Batting Left-handed
Bowling Right-arm medium-slow
Role Top-order batsman
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 188) 19 March 1994 v India
Last Test 22 March 2008 v England
ODI debut (cap 88) 25 March 1994 v India
Last ODI 24 April 2007 v Sri Lanka
ODI shirt no. 7
T20I debut (cap 3) 17 February 2005 v Australia
Last T20I 26 December 2006 v Sri Lanka
Domestic team information
Years Team
1991/92–1999/00 Canterbury
2000/01–2008/09 Wellington
2001 Middlesex
2003 Yorkshire
2005–2007 Nottinghamshire
2008 Chennai Super Kings
Head coaching information
Years Team
2009–2015, 2018–present Chennai Super Kings
2015–2019 Melbourne Stars
2016–2017 Rising Pune Supergiant
2022-present Joburg Super Kings
2023-present Texas Super Kings
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 111 280 247 460
Runs scored 7,172 8,037 16,409 14,019
Batting average 40.06 32.40 43.87 35.13
100s/50s 9/46 8/49 35/93 22/86
Top score 274* 134* 274* 139*
Balls bowled 29 102 35
Wickets 1 0 2
Bowling average 28.00 15.50
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0
Best bowling 1/8 1/3
Catches/stumpings 171/– 133/– 340/– 225/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 4 May 2017
Medal record
Representing  New Zealand
Men's Cricket
Commonwealth Games
Bronze 1998 Kuala Lumpur List-A cricket
ICC Champions Trophy
Winner 2000 Kenya

Stephen Paul Fleming ONZM (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. 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.

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, and a son, in 2008.

Domestic career

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

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. He made his ODI debut on 25 March 1994 in the first match of the ODI series that followed and scored an unbeaten 90. In England's tour of New Zealand in 1996–97, he scored his maiden test century in the first test at Auckland. 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. He led the New Zealand team to a bronze medal in the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

Stephen Fleming captain
Fleming adjusting the field at Nottinghamshire

Fleming led the team to win the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy, which was New Zealand's first ICC trophy. 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. 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. In February 2005, Fleming captained New Zealand in the first ever Twenty20 International against Australia. 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.

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. He captained the side in the 2007 World Cup and scored 353 runs at an average of 39.22, leading the team to the semi-finals. On 24 April 2007, Fleming resigned as captain in a post-match press conference held after the semi-Final defeat to Sri Lanka. 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. Fleming scored over 7000 runs in test cricket and took over 170 catches, the third highest Test aggregate for a non-wicket keeper.

IPL career

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

Post retirement

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

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. Fleming returned to Chennai Super Kings for the 2018 season. Fleming coached CSK to its third IPL title in 2018. Fleming led CSK to the title again in 2021 and 2023 IPL. CSK became the most successful IPL franchise with five title wins and ten final appearances during his stint as head coach. 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.

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.

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. 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".

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.

Test
Test centuries scored by Stephen Fleming
No. Score Opponent Pos. Inn. Venue Date Result Ref
1 129  England 4 1 Eden Park, Auckland 24 January 1997 Drawn
2 174*  Sri Lanka 3 3 R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo 27 May 1998 Won
3 105  Australia 4 1 WACA Ground, Perth 30 November 2001 Drawn
4 130  West Indies 3 1 Kensington Oval, Bridgetown 21 June 2002 Won
5 274*  Sri Lanka 3 1 Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo 25 April 2003 Drawn
6 192  Pakistan 3 1 Seddon Park, Hamilton 19 December 2003 Drawn
7 117  England 2 1 Trent Bridge, Nottingham 4 June 2004 Lost
8 202  Bangladesh 3 1 M. A. Aziz Stadium, Chattogram 26 October 2004 Won
9 262  South Africa 3 1 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town 27 April 2006 Drawn
ODI
ODI centuries scored by Stephen Fleming
No. Score Opponent Pos. Venue Date Result Ref
1 106*  West Indies 4 Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain 29 March 1996 Won
2 116*  Australia 4 Melbourne Cricket Ground 21 January 1998 Won
3 111*  Australia 4 McLean Park, Napier 12 February 1998 Won
4 134*  South Africa 2 New Wanderers, Johannesburg 16 February 2003 Won (D/L)
5 115*  Pakistan 2 Lancaster Park, Christchurch 10 January 2004 Won
6 108  South Africa 2 Lancaster Park, Christchurch 17 February 2004 Won
7 106  England 2 Brisbane Cricket Ground 6 February 2007 Lost
8 102  Bangladesh 2 Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound 2 April 2007 Won

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.

Fleming captaincy record
Type Matches Won Lost Drawn Tied No result Win %
Test 80 28 27 25 0 0 35.00
ODI 218 98 106 0 1 13 44.95
T20I 5 2 2 0 1 0 40.00

Records and achievements

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

Honors

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

Player

New Zealand
  • ICC Champions Trophy: 2000
  • Commonwealth Games: 1998 (Bronze)
Nottinghamshire
  • County Championship: 2005

Coach

Chennai Super Kings
  • Indian Premier League: 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023
  • Champions League: 2010, 2014
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