Departing the crease one last time in one-day internationals, Aaron Finch was afforded a deserved standing ovation in Cairns and then declared he'd loved every minute of his time as a major force in the 50-over game.
After 146 matches - 55 as captain - the 35-year-old ended his ODI career with a 3-0 series sweep over New Zealand on Sunday, and the rapturous reception was befitting of a master tactician and one of the format's most prolific run-scorers.
While enduring recent struggles with the bat, his 17 centuries for Australia put him fourth behind Ricky Ponting, David Warner and Mark Waugh in the list of the country's most prolific international one-day scorers.
Finch's parents and wife were in attendance as Australia put a broom through the Black Caps 3-0 in the Chappell-Hadlee series, adding one final triumph to Finch's decorated ODI resume.
"I've loved every bit of it," he told Fox Cricket.
"To have a fair bit of team success along the way is what you play for and sitting around having a beer with your mates in the change rooms after you win a game or a series is the thing that I'll miss the most.
"The staff that we've had along the way right from the start, the captains that I've had, everyone through club cricket, all the players - you make it such a special time.
"I couldn't be more more thankful of my wife and family for the support that they've given me over a long period of time.
"My career has had plenty of ups and downs and to always have the support of the change room is something that I've loved and felt my whole career.
"I'll always be indebted to everyone that I played with for their unwavering support."
A World Cup winner in 2015, Finch amassed over 5000 runs in the format and averaged close to 40.
His debut came against Sri Lanka in 2013 and he scored his first century seven games later against Scotland with his 148.
Finch hit his highest score in 2019 with an unbeaten 153 in Pakistan, while his final three-figure knock came a year later against India in Sydney.
