Former New Zealand batsman Mathew Sinclair has retired from cricket after nearly two decades as a first-class player Photographer: Paul Taylor NEWS / SPORT HBT 2
Former New Zealand batsman Mathew Sinclair has retired from cricket after nearly two decades as a first-class player. We take a look at his career highlights.
1: Sinclair marked his test debut with a double century, 214 against the West Indies at the Basin Reserve in December 1999 and remains
the only New Zealander to have achieved that feat. The other four players to have passed 200 on test debut are R.E. Foster (England), Lawrence Rowe (West Indies), Brendon Kuruppu (Sri Lanka) and Jacques Rudolph (South Africa). Stephen Fleming, with three, is the only New Zealand batsman to have scored more test double centuries for New Zealand. Glenn Turner also scored two.
2: Sinclair hit 150 against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in November 2000, out of a total of 298. Only Craig McMillan, with 39, reached 30. South Africa's bowling attack? A top class pace quartet of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini.
3: Sinclair's 204 not out against Pakistan at Christchurch in March 2001 helped him take his test average to 52 after his first 12 tests.
4: Sinclair took his finest catch in Melbourne, December 2004. He sprinted to his left at deep square leg and dived to catch Australian opener Matthew Hayden one-handed, before giving the bird to the crowd behind him, answering the barbs he'd been receiving. ''It's as good as you'll ever see," was commentator Tony Greig's verdict.
