Brian Lara was run out for 18 in the final World Cup Super Eights game against England on Saturday, the batting great's last international match.
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS: Brian Lara's glittering international career ended in a cruel run out when he had made 18 in the World Cup Super Eights match against England at Kensington Oval here on Saturday.
Lara, playing his 299th and last one-day match, was sent back by Marlon Samuels on the fifth ball of the 31st over bowled by Andrew Flintoff.
But the master batsman, at the non-striker's end, failed to beat a rolling throw from Kevin Pietersen from mid-on and was well short of his crease.
The 37-year-old left-hander trudged back, shaking his head in disappointment, removed his helmet and turned back to raise his bat for the last time to a huge standing ovation by the capacity 23,000 crowd.
He dropped his glove, before he picked it up and waved his bat to the stands.
It was his last walk to the Sir Gary Sobers pavilion, the famous quick steps into the dressing room where all his team-mates stood up and applauded.
Lara had to wait for 23.5 overs to walk to the middle as Chris Gayle (79) and Devon Smith (61) put on a brilliant 131 for the opening wicket.
When Lara stepped out for his last innings Gayle embraced him, and a loud cheer and standing ovation accompanied him to the middle as fans, who had started to arrive at the ground since early morning, paid a deserving farewell to the batting legend.
All the England players formed a guard of honour for the West Indies skipper.
First ball, Lara played a defensive stroke off England paceman Flintoff and in the next James Anderson over he opened his account with a single to cover.
He went down the pitch to congratulate Smith for his half-century, before being beaten by an Anderson delivery.
He took another single in the next over and then went back to hit Flintoff to the covers for his first boundary.
It was a typical Lara cut on the up, a shot which has entralled crowds all over the world throughout his 17-year international career.
In the next over, a deft flick off Anderson brought Lara his second boundary and once Smith fell, Lara walked down to direct Samuels.
Flintoff came close to dismissing him when Lara tried to guide the ball through the slips with a diving Andrew Strauss just failing to reach the ball.
However, his 17-ball innings came to a disappointing end with the run out.
It was the 19th time he had been run out in his one-day career but perhaps, befittingly, no bowler could clain the great man's scalp in his last outing.
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