Former South African captain Dean Elgar gave cricket fans a memorable farewell by scoring a century in the final professional innings of his career.

Playing for Essex against Glamorgan in the County Championship Division One match in Cardiff, Elgar produced a brilliant 108-run knock to mark the end of an illustrious first-class career.

Elgar signs off with a century

With Essex following on, Elgar walked out for his final professional innings and delivered a performance worthy of the occasion.

The left-hander scored 108 runs from 181 balls, registering the 57th first-class century of his career.

Remarkably, Elgar reached those 57 centuries after facing 38,641 balls across 284 first-class matches.

His final century came after Essex had been put under significant pressure earlier in the match.

Essex were in trouble

Glamorgan batted first and posted a massive 505 runs, with Asa Tribe producing a spectacular 184 and captain Kieran Carlson adding 107.

Essex's first innings was a completely different story. They were bowled out for just 129, with Elgar managing only 2 runs from 11 balls.

Forced to follow on, Essex needed a strong response in their second innings.

That's when Elgar stepped up.

His 108-run knock helped Essex reach 331 for 5 by the end of the third day. The side was still 45 runs behind Glamorgan, with five wickets remaining and the final day still to come.

A career filled with runs and milestones

Elgar's final century was a fitting conclusion to a remarkable professional career.

Across 566 professional matches, he accumulated more than 28,000 runs and scored 66 centuries.

His first-class record alone includes 57 centuries, highlighting the remarkable consistency and longevity he displayed throughout his career.

The perfect ending

There could hardly have been a more fitting way for Elgar to walk away from professional cricket.

After hundreds of matches, thousands of runs and a career that included leading South Africa, the veteran batter signed off with a century when his team needed him most.

From 38,641 balls to his 57th first-class century, Dean Elgar's final innings will be remembered as a fitting farewell to a remarkable cricketing career.