Lou Vincent receives special 100th ODI cap after nearly 17 years 

Former New Zealand international, Lou Vincent, received a special cap earlier this month to commemorate his 100th ODI, almost 17 years since the milestone in 2007. Sir Richard Hadlee handed the cap to Vincet in Auckland at a close ceremony attended by Vincet’s family and some ex-teammates. 

"It was a lovely way to be acknowledged for my cricketing career, and to be able to use the night as an avenue to say thank you very, very much to people who've been by my side through the great times and the tricky times," Vincent told The Post. "It was a memorable, special night with some lovely words spoken."

Vincet, who scored 2413 runs in 102 ODIs also played  23 tests and nine T20Is between 2001 and 2007. He then was seen in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) and was on the domestic circuit until 2014, when he was charged with a lifetime ban by the ECB for corrupt activities in the county circuit.      

The ECB revised the punishment in December 2023, allowing Vincent to return to domestic circuit work. 

"The past is the past," Vincent said. "It was powerful that I had such huge support for the application for the ban to be appealed and there was no opposition from the ECB, they fully respected the work I'd done behind the scenes over the last few years and using my experiences to help educate the next generation of players."

NZC chief executive Scott Weenink said the board had been holding on to Vincet’s commemorative cap “for probably 13 years”

As per Vincent, the former chairman of selectors, Hadlee who had first drafted him for New Zealand broke down while presenting the cap. 

"I was able to say to him 'Richard, you are New Zealand Cricket, you are the best player we've ever had, you've achieved so much, and for you to take time out and fly to Auckland to want to present this cap to me is so, so humbling and a reflection of the great man you are," Vincent said. "And he was in tears. Sir Richard Hadlee in tears!"

Vincet’s landmark game came in Cape Town in December 2007, where he scored 18 runs and picked the prized wicket of Jacques Kallis as well. Vincet, 45 is now slowly returning to cricket. He recently represented Seddon Cricket Club and played a five-day match to raise awareness on men’s mental health. 

"Life moves on, and my life has moved on now. I've been blessed with a little son, and I've got two teenage daughters," Vincent said. "To have the opportunity to start a family again and be settled in the far north and have the beach life - a simple life - this is all I'm focused on now."