Matthew Sinclair Retires

futureblackcap

Well-Known Member
Probably the best New Zealand domestic batsmen, ever to not carry that over into the national side. He averaged 48 at domestic level with over 10 000 runs.

I'll always remember him taking one of the best outfield catches I've ever seen.

 
He's part of that generation of cricketers that were mucked about by the mess of the 2004-10 period (Vaughan as CEO, Bracewell as coach and the ICL exodus), you can almost produce a team if you try hard enough:

Jamie How, Michael Papps, Matthew Sinclair, Lou Vincent, Hamish Marshall, Craig McMillan, Robbie Hart, Bruce Martin, Andre Adams, Darryll Tuffey, Shane Bond

Not world beaters and only McMillan got a decent go of things but we should have got more out of that lot than what we did (McMillan's career was cut short by Bracewell and the ICL debacle in case anyone questions that).

Loved watching Skippy bat when he was on song, he's a bit of a plonker to be honest but he had that mindset of those sportsmen that aim for the top if given a chance (tends to make them a bit unlikeable in normal life). Hope he gets it together, must be tough to look after a young family and be forced to find a new career to make ends meet after the high of his international debut.
 
Not world beaters and only McMillan got a decent go of things but we should have got more out of that lot than what we did (McMillan's career was cut short by Bracewell and the ICL debacle in case anyone questions that).

Agree with you on everything else except McMillan. He got a million chances and only deserved about ten of them. He'd definitely be in my list of Blackcap's in the "had many chances, is pretty useless" category. His technique of swing as hard as you can at every delivery (and miss) until you get out was about as clever as putting a knife into a live toaster. No one has frustrated me more as a Blackcap fan...than Craig McMillan. I don't care for him much as a commentator either haha.
 
Agree with you on everything else except McMillan. He got a million chances and only deserved about ten of them. He'd definitely be in my list of Blackcap's in the "had many chances, is pretty useless" category. His technique of swing as hard as you can at every delivery (and miss) until you get out was about as clever as putting a knife into a live toaster. No one has frustrated me more as a Blackcap fan...than Craig McMillan. I don't care for him much as a commentator either haha.
Damn right he was frustrating, I still remember when he responded to a suggestion from Richard Hadlee that he should tighten up his technique with "What would he know?". I called Skippy a plonker but at least you could talk to him, McMillan was an absolute a-hole when he was playing. His commentary is unfortunate and it doesn't help that he's paired with that idiot Doull. In saying all of this he could fight and his test average shows this. When McMillan retired he still had 4 years in him and was in the form of his life at a time when we needed him but the administration at the time found ways to ostracise him (a bit like Lou Vincent in fact).

Still, McMillan has done one cool thing in the commentary box:

 
I miss Nisbo commentating the cricket.

I don't remember much about Matthew Sinclair, but those First-Class stats speak volumes and it is a shame that he couldn't bring that to the Test arena.
 
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