It was an emotional farewell for cricketing great Martin Crowe today, with his funeral held at Auckland's Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Among those who paid tribute to the sporting great was former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith who in his eulogy for his "great mate" said Crowe would be "mighty impressed" by the crowd who had gathered to see him off.
"Your nation salutes you, rest in peace," Smith said.
He also read out a message from former Australian captain Allan Border, who called Crowe a "true champion".
"I can ensure everyone present that Martin was highly regarded by everyone he played against, not only as a truly great player but as a person who was truly great company off the field," Border said.
"Cricket has lost one of its iconic players. He'll be finally remembered, greatly missed but never forgotten."
Crowe's wife Lorraine Downes spoke too, calling her late husband her "soul mate".
"It has been said the amount of grief you feel when someone passes is a direct reflection of how much you loved that person. My grief is huge as was my love for Marty. The hurt and grieving we feel for many of us close to him is because Marty was a wonderful man who loved us well -- as a soul mate, a father a son, a brother and a friend."
Crowe's cousin Russell Crowe also attended the service, as did his brother Jeff, who also spoke at the service.
Crowe passed away last week after a long battle with Lymphoma.
Newshub.
