Mathew Sinclair
Encyclopedia
Mathew Stuart Sinclair is an Australia
n-born New Zealand
cricket
er. He is a right-handed middle order batsman who has also opened the innings. He holds the equal world record for the highest Test score (214) by a number three batsman on debut when he opened his international career against West Indies in the 1999 Boxing Day Test
.
to develop depth in its players in order to ensure that the top XI had constant pressure on them, Mathew Sinclair was ideally placed to take advantage of the situation. In any other age of New Zealand cricket history, he would have been a regular institution in the side.
Despite a strong start with two Test double centuries to his name, the runs began to dry up. This saw him relegated to the fringe of the team, a place many players find it difficult to emerge from. Since then he has intermittently featured in the international squad, most recently being the One Day International against the West Indies at Eden Park
in January 2009.
An injury to Michael Papps
in 2004/05 saw him called into the tour of Bangladesh as a 'make-shift' opener. His preferred position in the top of the middle-order is not available at the moment with Stephen Fleming
, Scott Styris
and now Lou Vincent
and Ross Taylor
heading the field. He did enough on that tour to gain selection for the tour to Australia where he had mixed results in the Tests, but not enough to maintain his spot when the Australians crossed the Tasman later that summer.
His form in the ODIs in Australia was sufficient to retain his place for the return series, but he lost his place after averaging 15 in the first three matches.
The Central Districts player has worked hard at his game and there is no doubt that when he is in full cry he can be as attractive, and assured, as any of the New Zealand batsmen. His ability to continue on to make big scores when getting a start is unmatched in the New Zealand side, although others are starting to make an impression in that area. There is still a nervousness about his starting an innings, but there is no doubting the hunger to succeed and if he can continue to allow the latter to over-ride the former then some boom times may yet still be ahead for him.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-born New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He is a right-handed middle order batsman who has also opened the innings. He holds the equal world record for the highest Test score (214) by a number three batsman on debut when he opened his international career against West Indies in the 1999 Boxing Day Test
Boxing Day Test
The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match hosted in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team which is touring Australia that summer. It begins annually on Boxing Day and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground...
.
Biography
When the call went out for New Zealand CricketNew Zealand Cricket
New Zealand Cricket, formerly the New Zealand Cricket Board, is the governing body for professional cricket in New Zealand. Cricket is the most popular and highest profile summer sport in New Zealand....
to develop depth in its players in order to ensure that the top XI had constant pressure on them, Mathew Sinclair was ideally placed to take advantage of the situation. In any other age of New Zealand cricket history, he would have been a regular institution in the side.
Despite a strong start with two Test double centuries to his name, the runs began to dry up. This saw him relegated to the fringe of the team, a place many players find it difficult to emerge from. Since then he has intermittently featured in the international squad, most recently being the One Day International against the West Indies at Eden Park
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
in January 2009.
An injury to Michael Papps
Michael Papps
Michael Hugh William Papps is a New Zealand right-handed opening batsman and wicket-keeper. He was born in Christchurch.Papps was selected for the one-day series against South Africa in 2003–04 to solve New Zealand's long-running search for a capable opening batsman to partner Stephen...
in 2004/05 saw him called into the tour of Bangladesh as a 'make-shift' opener. His preferred position in the top of the middle-order is not available at the moment with Stephen Fleming
Stephen Fleming
Stephen Paul Fleming ONZM is a New Zealand cricketer, and the former captain of the New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, in Test and one-day cricket...
, Scott Styris
Scott Styris
Scott Bernardo Styris is an Australian-born New Zealand cricketer. An allrounder, Styris is an aggressive right-handed middle order batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler....
and now Lou Vincent
Lou Vincent
Lou Vincent is a professional New Zealand cricketer. He has represented New Zealand in Test match, One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket as well as playing for Auckland in New Zealand domestic cricket and Worcestershire and Lancashire in English domestic cricket.-Early and...
and Ross Taylor
Ross Taylor
Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor , abbreviated in cricket scorecards to LRPL Taylor, but more commonly known as Ross Taylor, is a New Zealand cricketer and the current captain, preferred ahead of wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum. He has also captained the New Zealand Under-19 side in youth internationals...
heading the field. He did enough on that tour to gain selection for the tour to Australia where he had mixed results in the Tests, but not enough to maintain his spot when the Australians crossed the Tasman later that summer.
His form in the ODIs in Australia was sufficient to retain his place for the return series, but he lost his place after averaging 15 in the first three matches.
The Central Districts player has worked hard at his game and there is no doubt that when he is in full cry he can be as attractive, and assured, as any of the New Zealand batsmen. His ability to continue on to make big scores when getting a start is unmatched in the New Zealand side, although others are starting to make an impression in that area. There is still a nervousness about his starting an innings, but there is no doubting the hunger to succeed and if he can continue to allow the latter to over-ride the former then some boom times may yet still be ahead for him.