Former New Zealand allrounder Andrew Ellis calls time on 17-year professional career

The Canterbury stalwart collected 20 caps for the Blackcaps in white-ball cricket and steps away with 249 first-class wickets to his name

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Andrew Ellis has announced his retirement from all cricket, more than 17 years since making his first-class debut.

It was a decade later that the New Zealander collected the first of his 20 international caps, but the 37-year-old remained a stalwart for Canterbury throughout his career.

Ellis was crowned the country's domestic player of the year for both the 2014/15 and 2016/17 seasons as his side collected Plunket Shield honours, while he also captained the Kings to their first 50-over title in more than a decade during the latter season.

However, he would play just one more full first-class campaign before focusing on the limited-overs game, signing off in the recent Ford Trophy campaign with a 18 wickets and a team-best economy rate of 5.03.

Gary Stead, the current Blackcaps coach and a former teammate of Ellis at the Hagley Oval, was full of praise as the right-arm seamer announced he would hang up his boots.

"Elly will always stand out to me through his work ethic and desire to improve and better himself, especially early in his career when he would often be in hitting balls on the bowling machine at either end of the day," Stead said.

"These out of sight and unseen practice hours built his resilience and technique for a very successful career across all formats.

"Above all, Elly was keen to help other people get the best out of themselves and this is always a great legacy to leave – he was stubborn, committed and a very successful Canterbury man."

^{Ellis has donned a helmet while bowling since being struck on the head in 2018}

Ellis featured for New Zealand's under-19 side in 2001 before debuting for Canterbury in first-class and List A cricket in 2003 and 2004 respectively, but a series of injuries to his back severely limited his playing time until undergoing surgery at the start of 2010.

He earned a call-up to international duty for home fixtures against Zimbabwe less than two years later, earning 15 ODI caps and five in T20 internationals before November 2013.

In recent seasons, Ellis has been particularly recognisable after choosing to bowl in a helmet, having had a shot from Auckland's Jeet Raval deflect off his head and fly over the rope for six in a Ford Trophy match in 2018.

However, the Christchurch local would return to the field after a concussion check to bowl six more overs and dismiss Raval for a career-best 149 later in the day.

Ellis himself retires having played 331 games for Canterbury across formats, with 249 wickets at 29.78 in the first-class game as well as 10 centuries. In his retirement, he is set to continue a role with High Performance Sport New Zealand.

Cole McConchie, who took over from Ellis as team captain in 2017, remarked: "I remember coming into the side and he really took me and the other young players under his wing.

"He was the utmost professional and his legacy here at Canterbury will stand the test of time

"He has a massive heart and has been a great allrounder for us for years. He'll be very much missed around the group. I just want to, on behalf of the whole Canterbury side, wish Elly the very best of time in life after cricket."