If ever an innings encapsulated a career, this was surely it.

From the moment that Stephen Fleming walked out to bat for the final time in his distinguished Test career, to his return to the pavilion after making a breezy 66, the spectators at McLean Park witnessed his cricketing life in miniature.

Fleming was afforded a guard of honour by the England players as he made his way to the crease, testament to the esteem in which he is held by his opponents.

There were the usual boundaries in the arc between point and extra-cover as he demonstrated his exemplary timing almost from the outset, although it would not be a Fleming innings without the occasional airy stroke through gully.

Amid the emotion of the occasion, and the severity of the situation facing New Zealand as they attempted to bat out the the best part of two days, Fleming maintained the composure which has been one of the defining features of his 14-year Test career.

Ever the gentleman, he even found time to enquire about Alastair Cook's health after he struck him on the leg at silly point with another drive that seemed destined for the boundary.

Fluency has always been a byword for Fleming's batting, and the manner in which he progressed smoothly to a 69-ball fifty supported the theory, held by many in the game, that his decision to retire from international cricket at the age of 34 is premature.

If, in reaching 54, he achieved the first step of his ambition by ensuring he leaves the game with an average above 40, a farewell hundred eluded him.

That, too, was in keeping with the pattern of his Test career: he has made 46 half-centuries yet reached three figures only nine times.

It remains the most notable blot on his record, and the man himself admits a failure to improve on his conversion rate is one of his biggest regrets.

For those who saw Fleming bat, it mattered little. They were appeased by the wonderfully languid strokeplay and exquisite timing, effortless clips off his legs and flowing cover drives executed with a grace.

Such a style can often appear careless, and the manner of his dismissal in Napier - caught behind attempting to cut a delivery that perhaps demanded a straighter bat - could be added to a handful of examples from the current series alone of Fleming surrendering his wicket when well set.

But it is impossible - and, indeed, unfair - to castigate Fleming for the apparently nonchalant approach that also brought so much enjoyment to fans around the globe.

Rather, he should be remembered as one of the most important figures in the history of New Zealand cricket. No Kiwi has played more Tests than Fleming's 111, none can top his 7,172 Test runs, and his tally of 171 catches is unrivalled by an outfielder.

Consider, too, the huge impact he made during his spell as captain, when he transformed an average team into one capable of competing with the best in the world, particularly in the one-day arena.

He is regarded by many seasoned observers as the finest skipper of his generation, and his retirement not only leaves a sizeable hole at number three, but also deprives current captain Daniel Vettori of a wealth of knowledge and experience on which to draw as he begins to shape a new era in New Zealand cricket.

As he raised his bat after another innings that promised so much yet ultimately failed to deliver, it was easy to imagine Fleming reflecting on the aptness of it all.

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