Clarke's bat sponsor misses cashing in on his triple century

The 100th SCG Test has been skipper Michael Clarke's crowning glory, as he scored 329 not out, but for the sporting goods brand that has sponsored him since he was 12 has been missing the glorious occasion, as the contract expired on New Year's eve.Clarke walked into Harry Solomons's sports store at Kingsgrove a week ago carrying a handful of bats. He asked his old friend if he could remove the stickers from them ahead of the second Test against India beginning three days later. It was New Year's Eve, the day Clarke's three-year bat and equipment contract with Slazenger expired.The Australian captain will forever be remembered for his phenomenal 329 against India and that he did it with a clean, unmarked bat.The explanation for Slazenger's split with Clarke is not as straightforward as it seems. Adam Ballesty, the group marketing manager of parent company Pacific Brands, said Slazenger simply could not match Clarke's demands, which naturally included a rise in earnings having assumed the Test captaincy and a desire for their products to carry more Clarke-specific merchandise. "We just couldn't service that sponsorship to a level that he needed," Ballesty told the Sydney Morning Herald.Solomons said Clarke was keen to stay with his long-time backer, but Slazenger baulked at renewing his contract under different terms to the previous deal.A three-year sponsorship deal for bats, other batting gear and merchandise is likely to set the winner back more than $1 million.