Fleming Leads By Example

Stephen Fleming has long been considered one of the best captains in world cricket. To go with that, a talented and elegant batsmen and a fine fielder.

Yet just two days short of his thirtieth birthday, Fleming has suddenly stamped his name alongside the likes of Hayden, Gibbs and Vaughan as a powerhouse batsman, just one notch below the brilliance of Tendulkar, Lara and Ponting.

Since May 1998, Fleming has averaged an impressive 42.88 in 68 innings of test cricket. Before then, he averaged below 35. His career figure is now very respectable, bordering on 39, yet the most significant factor for Fleming lays outside these statistics.

Fleming has scored four of his five test centuries in the period after May '98, culminating in his epic, unbeaten 274 in Sri Lanka that easily eclipsed anything he had dished out before.

The World Cup proved Fleming's ability in the one-day form of the game, and his monumental display in the round-robin clash with South Africa has been transferred to the longer version almost immediately. But two years ago, very few felt Fleming was capable of scoring so highly in a single innings.

One century in his first 34 tests was not a good conversion rate, while five from the next 39 isn't fantastic either. But it is better...much better. The gap between hundreds is closing for Fleming, and it would not surprise if in the next two years he adds significantly to that figure.

Ability as a leader is one aspect of Fleming's game that has rarely been questioned, particularly in recent times. Now, the question mark hanging over his ability to score big runs has also been put to rest. A class captain and individual has finally turned himself into a world-class cricketer.

Posted by JohnC