Aaron Finch’s sad moment in farewell match for retiring Aussie cricket great

It's safe to safe the final game in an illustrious cricket career for Aaron Finch didn't quite go to plan. The Melbourne Renegades sent their retiring captain out a winner after a six-wicket victory against local rivals, Melbourne Stars, but the veteran's last innings with the bat ended in disappointment.

Hoping to bring the curtain down on a hugely successful career in style, the Renegades batter instead suffered a third-ball duck in front of 41,205 fans at Marvel Stadium. Finch is the Renegades all-time leading scorer and had his team jersey number retired before the game. He was also seen posing for photos with his young daughter Esther and was cheered on by family members in what was hoped to be a fitting farewell for the 37-year-old.

OVER AND OUT: Steve O'Keefe news saddens fans amid stunning BBL display

SAD: Cricket fans fume over Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting situation

GOOD NEWS: Positive development for Meg Lanning amid fan concerns

Finch is undoubtedly a great of the T20 arena, having notched the second most BBL runs, hundreds, fifties and fours and the fourth-most sixes in the history of the competition. However, the opener's form with the bat has been in decline over the last couple of years and he was unable to fashion one last memorable display with the bat for the large crowd.

Heartbreak for Aaron Finch in final innings

Marvel Stadium was decked out in red in honour of Finch but his short stay at the crease ended in cruel fashion after only three balls, when he charged down the pitch and skied an easy catch to his old mate Glenn Maxwell at mid-off. To Maxwell's credit, the all-rounder refused to celebrate the wicket as fans took to social media to share their disappointment, while praising the career of the two-time World Cup winner.

"This club is something I've put everything into, it's sad that it's over but I'm also happy," Finch told Fox cricket after the match. "I'm obviously well past my best, the young kids coming through are so good so I wanted to give them every opportunity but it's to nice to go out with a win, especially against the Stars."

Renegades claim victory in Aaron Finch's final game

The Renegades successfully chased down the victory target of 138, that came after four Stars batters passed 20, without any of them really going on to make a big score. Hilton Cartwright (38 off 30 balls) was the only one to pass 30 on what proved to be a tricky wicket for the batters.

Finch's old housemate and former Victoria and Australia colleague Maxwell, briefly threatened to be a party pooper as he blasted his way to 20 off 10 balls. Maxwell took 16 off three successive balls in Tom Rogers' second over, but was out the next over to effectively put the brakes on the Stars' scoring. Akeal Hosein and Kane Richardson both claimed two wickets as the pick of the Renegades bowlers.

The 'Gades ultimately chased down the moderate target with 16 balls to spare, to give Finch something to celebrate in his final game. They stumbled in the Power Surge but veteran Shaun Marsh (64no off 49 balls) and Jonathan Wells (14no off 15) steered them to victory with a 46-run stand that lifted the Renegades off the bottom of the ladder.

One of the "young kids" coming through that Finch mentioned was Jake Fraser-McGurk, who blasted a sparkling 42 off 31 balls. Fraser-McGurk provided one of the highlights of the game, with a sweetly timed six over midwicket, the shot making a glorious cracking sound as it flew off the bat.

The loss left the fifth-placed Stars a point behind Adelaide Strikers, who will wrap up fourth spot if they beat the Thunder in Canberra on Sunday. If the Strikers lose, the Stars will finish fourth if they win their final match against Hobart Hurricanes on Monday at the MCG.

with AAP

Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.