His team lost by an agonising two runs and he missed half a ton by a run, but nothing could wipe the smile off Mathew Sinclair's face yesterday.
The 37-year-old lapped up his testimonial cricket match at Nelson Park, Napier, after a stellar domestic career with the Central Districts Stags.
"What great entertainment value for seeing some great cricketing legends out at Nelson Park," Sinclair said after a Twenty20 game between Skippy's XI and a players' association Masters CD selection.
Former Black Caps such as Mark Greatbatch, James Marshall, Peter Ingram and Reece Young were on the park with current and retired Stags.
He said the dinner theme of inviting present and past players in a "Skippy's Stag Do" weekend of tribute worked out well on Saturday night at the Nelson Park pavilion: "I suppose most of them took a lot of pleasure in taking the mickey out of me in some form or shape."