Queensland Bulls great Chris Hartley announces retirement

Chris Hartley, the Queensland great has decided to retire from cricket. Hartley was one of the most successful wicket-keeper batsmen of the modern era but his career was shadowed by the likes of Adam Gilchrist and Brad Haddin.

Recently his status as a legend of Bulls was secured as he went on to carve his name into the history books for most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in first-class cricket. He has 562 scalps to his name. The 34-year-old surpassed an ex-Victorian Darren Berry.

The next Sheffield Shield match is supposed to be his last as they play the table toppers Bushrangers. Their only chance to qualify for the quarter-finals and extend the career of their skipper is by beating the in form team.

The match against Victoria will be Hartley’s 131^st first class game. He debuted in 2003 and has been phenomenal with the bat as well. The veteran has scored 5963 runs in first-class cricket. He has won the Sheffield Shield twice with the Bulls. First in 2005-06 and the second one in 2011-12.

This wicket-keeper also won the Big Bash League with Brisbane Heat in 12/13 season and another one in 15/16 season with Sydney Thunder. Sadly this great cricketer never got a chance to play at the highest level and grab that baggy green. He will always be remembered as one of the great first class cricketers who never played for his nation.

Hartley was emotional while talking about his retirement. He said “I think if you make the decision based only on the good times … we’d all try and play forever. But it’s all the extra work that you have to do and the hard grind that goes into making the good stuff exactly what it is. I’ve given my absolute all for 15 or 16 years in the Queensland Bulls squad and I feel like I don’t have much to give in terms of that stuff anymore.”

He also had no regrets about not playing for Australia and was happy how his career has panned out over the years. “I think at times my performances meant that I probably could have played for Australia, but the window of opportunity wasn’t open at that time. I’m very, very happy with the way my career has panned out and I gave it a crack every step of the way.”

Here is Chris Hartley’s career in numbers:

Twenty20 record

M: 55 | R: 312 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 0 | Ave: 17.33 | Ct: 34 | St: 8

List A record

M: 96 | R: 2077 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 13 | Ave: 31.46 | Ct: 115 | St: 14

First-class record

M: 130 | R: 6063 | 100s: 10 | 50s: 32 | Ave: 34.44 | Ct: 545 | St: 17