In the 1999 Boxing Day test against the West Indies at the Basin Reserve, Matthew Sinclair scored 214 on test debut.
Still the highest score by a New Zealande batter on their test debut, it helped New Zealand to an innings victory over the West Indies.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
We start this hour with a look back in time
a quarter of a century ago, twenty five years since
one of the most famous innings and our Test cricket
hastory point.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
He's gone for a sink bet.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Start at a A two going towards the boundary four uns.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
That is two hundred. What a moment for him to
choose it.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
In the nineteen ninety nine Boxing Day Test against the
West Indies at the Basin Reserve, Matthew Sinclair scored two
hundred and fourteen on Test debut, still the highest score
by a New Zealand batter on their Test debut and
it helped New Zealand to an innings victory over the
West Indies. Matthew Sinclair is with us for a bit
of a wander down memory lane twenty five years ago. Matthew,
(00:59):
hard to believe. How often do you think back to
that innings and that Test match?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Enough? I don't mate it.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
I think I think social media is pretty good for
that nowadays, you know what I mean? But Nah, it's
sort of it sort of felt like yesterday. Funny enough,
you know what I mean, just all the emotions and
all the all sort of I guess the good will
that happened with it, and I mean obviously it's in
the past now sort of stuff, but still good to
bring up and be lucky enough.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
To be part of it.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, I love reminiscing about this sort of thing. Before
that series, did you feel like you were in the
frame for selection into the New Zealand team?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Not really.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
I mean like I had relative pretty good domestic form
for Central Districts leading up to that, and as it
turned out, I mean, I only really got my opportunity
through an injury through Matt Horn, so he broke his
hand and then obviously got the call up home. Sidrich
Adien said Matt, you're in the You're in the Test match,
and I said, wow, okay, cool.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Way it went from him.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So you came into the New Zealand side with them,
you know a couple of guys who've been around for
a while. Stephen Fleming was the captain, Chris Kens was
in that team, adam PERORI and others. Was it an
intimidating team to come into or were you sort of
welcomed and what was the story there.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
No, I think it was pretty it was pretty welcoming.
I mean, obviously, here's a guy from the middle of nowhere,
you know what I mean. And when I mean nowhere,
I mean like central districts as as such. You know,
we are considered the country boys of first class cricket,
and I guess the opportunity to get on and play
with the big boys was certainly really overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
But I mean they embraced me.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
They obviously had played against quite a few of them
over the first class sort of time domestic period as well,
so and I was just like, wow, thankful for the opportunity.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Really, So in hindsight, how helpful was it to bat first?
Because West did He's won the Tass I've forgotten this
sent you in? Was that for you as a debutante
knowing you were batting three? Was that helpful rather than
having a couple of days in the field or a
day in the field, or would you preferred the other
way around?
Speaker 4 (02:58):
I think probably it was a great chance just to
get out there straight away. Really, I mean, I mean,
I have some people preferred the opportunity to give yourself
a bit of time to get into it, get the
feel of it sort of thing. But now it was
for me, it was just to get out there and
just just get amongst it.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Really.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
It was obviously pretty nerve wracking for obvious reasons, but
I guess, you know, my lone mindset. It was just
to try and get off the mark. That was my
That was one of my sort of strategies. And then
and I got a French cut. And then and I
think I remember walking down. I think Craig Spearman was
batting me with me at the other end and said,
matt Or skippy A you know aka so nickname, this
(03:34):
is going to be your day. And it's like, well, okay,
away from there, as.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
You were waiting to beat Yeah, yeah, Craig sperm and
Gary Stead was the was the other opener. Rah, So
he gets out, you're as you're waiting to bat I mean,
are you are you nervous? What are the emotions like
at that time?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I mean I'm sort of quite a talkative sort of guy.
Like if my emotions are more like if I feel
like I'm nervous, I tend to talk too much, so
and that tend to happen quite a bit with me, unfortunately.
But I guess you know, I was sitting next to
a friend of mine who had played I think through
age group cricket, and I just sort of talked away
through to him and and just so of just went
(04:11):
about my normal business, to be honest, And I guess
the other thing about it, like I am. You know,
we talked about crick had been a big mental game,
and I guess for me it really was to be
given the opportunity to obviously play from his zeel against
very good with Indy side, and I just kept self
talking myself up and said, hey, look I can do this,
I can do this. And funny enough, the next day
I just went out and just the mindset was just
(04:32):
such that I could do this. And that's pretty much
how it ended up being.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, and you, I mean, Craig Speaman got out, Stephen
Fleming comes and you had a good partnership with him,
and then following that a good partnership with Nathan Astell
as well. How how helpful were they as you built
your runnings?
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Yeah, I think the key was the partnerships. And there's
nothing better batting with batting and partnerships, and obviously with
like Nathan being there being in the team for a
while as well, and obviously better with Steven as well,
just sort of coursing me through the through the trials
and tribulations of Test match cricker really, so they were
real massive help. And I guess the other thing was
(05:09):
nothing better than just keep scoring runs, you know what
I mean. We had the imputus of good partnerships and
the opportunity to keep scoring runs, so we just kept
sort of bringing it onto them.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So you get to thirty, you get to forty, you
bring up your half century. Are you starting to feel
comfortable at the stage?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Ah, slightly, I like.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
But the ability to get off the mark was my
first initial thing, and then I guess it just sort
of kept going from there. When you sort of talk
about sort of sportsmen getting in the zone sort of thing,
I started really pretty much getting into that zone and
was starting to feel slightly comfortable with what was going on,
and which is like really reveling and obviously a big
crowd as well, so that pumped me up.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
And yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Just showing my showcases, really just showing my skills. And
I guess the ball a lot of majority of the
times was in my areas and I just maximized on it.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Tell us about the moment you brought up your hundred.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Yeah, that was pretty special. I mean they talk about
the nervous nineties and that sort of thing. It was
just like, well, yeah, that was definitely my mind. But
you know, at the end of the day, it was
just like I think I remember talking to John right
funny enough prior to the Test match and he said
to me in the change said, Matt, you know, look
at the big squad up there and look at it,
you know, Ms Sinclair one hundred. And then it was
(06:21):
like wow, okay, so and then yeah, there it was
ended up being like that in that stage. So yeah,
it was very special to bring obviously, you know, obviously
one hundred it's a pinnacle of most cricketers obviously. But
then it was like, well, no, I just want to
keep going.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah, And I was going to ask you about that
because I guess having scored or even having scored thirty
or forty, I haven't failed on my Test Dayboo. You
bring up one hundred, and man, I've scored one hundred
on Test day boo. But then what sort of internal
conversations are you having with yourself to say right, this
isn't enough. I'm carrying on here.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Yeah, I think it's built around I guess a lot
of you know, make Haywall sunshine sort of thing. And
I guess through my domestic career, you know, I was
always about when I do get you know, hundreds or
we call it big scores, and I just wanted to
keep going and going, you know, I mean, I just
wanted to be someone different in that respect, you know,
you hear, like you said before, a lot of people
(07:11):
getting thirties and forties, you know, and I try and
teach sort of guys and the kids and those going
through firstas cricket. You know, that's only that's sort of
part of the so called problem. Let's get the solution,
the solutions to keep.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Going and going.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Really, I mean, we should really be seeing the ball
like a absolute beach ball, you know what I mean. So,
and I guess may it was just like, well, I'm
just going to keep going here because we were in
a good position. I had a lot of partnerships with
various other guys through the through the endings, and we
just kept going on with that and keep rolling with it.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Wasn't I think my memory is right.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
Here.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
It is a long time ago. It was Nathan asked
to run out as you tried to bring up your
two hundred, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Yeah, yeah, And I think Nathan will probably never forgive that.
I will say that it was his call, not mine.
So but if Nathan's obviously listened, this is probably different
instead of variation. But I mean that just sort of shows,
you know, just the I guess the closest we had
in the team, that we were pushing each other to
do what we need to do and having a good
parts with Nathan as well help that, and obviously trying
(08:08):
to get me through to that as well.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
So shortly after that you did bring up the two hundred.
What what is it like looking up at that school
board and seeing ms and clear two hundred?
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Yeah, I mean obviously that was just I mean, other
records just kept falling and falling. Really, I guess through
the through the times and the period that I was
kept batting, and I remember we break I had, you
know what, I mean, Ken's was saying, hey, Skip, you
know look what you've done. You're hitting, you're taking, you're
pushing everybody else down sort of stuff. You know what
I mean, just keep going, man. You know, typical bottlers
a you know, have as much time on the sidelines
(08:38):
as possible sort of things. So they were telling me
all the way through it, hey, just just keep going,
you keep breaking the records, and I just kept going.
I mean like eventually fatigue sort of did start impact
things on the ennings. I can't remember findy how long
I bat it for probably eight nine hours.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Sort of stuff. It was certainly up there sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
But you know it was a sort of got on me,
I guess really just for the mental sort of side
of it. But yeah, to see that up on the
scool would get there's something very special.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah, close to nine hours it was. So eventually, say,
fatigue setting, you're out for two fourteen, So you walk
back in. Are are you then?
Speaker 4 (09:11):
What?
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Sitting alone just reflecting in the in the changing room
under the basin there for for a few months.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, it was pretty cool.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
It was just like you know, when they bring up
the highlights and it was just just awesome just to
see the highlights and it was like, well it was
that actually me, you know what I mean. And yeah,
it just like I said before, it's like I was
in the zone, you know. I mean I just felt like,
no matter what you threw at me, I had an
answer for it. And that was pretty special. And a
lot of cricketers will talk to you about that. When
they're in that zone and things are happening, it just
(09:40):
ends to happen. And I guess that sort of that
day day and a half for me was pretty much
part of that.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Your three Test centuries with that one two fourteen, two
hundred and four not out and one fifty. I guess
goes back to what you said before. But what was
it in you that wanted to make big hundreds?
Speaker 4 (09:57):
I think just to never give in and to never
give up. And like I said of mentioned before, like
as batsman, you know, we you know, I just want
to to keep going. You know, we talk about sort
of the figures of getting one hundred or one fifty,
two hundred. Well, I looked at us trying to get
a big score. So I always kept sort of sayingmself,
what's a big score? Keep getting a big score? And
(10:18):
fow know, we talked about as various work mates. You know,
he look like a Brian Lara, you know, the guy
just kept batting for long periods of time, you know
what I mean, And it's like, well, that's what he's
renowned for, and that's that's the mental I guess I
just had that mental attitude to keep going. I just
never wanted to give in. I just wanted to keep going.
And I guess that's my forte, I guess of all
my cricket, I guess you know, when I did get
(10:39):
a big score, I'd try to keep going and going,
you know, because it's just the beauty about it.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Well, the Western he's sledging you, chatting to you early
in the innings, and I guess they would have quietened
down later. But were they big chatter as the Windy's boys.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
No, they weren't.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I think initially when I got out there there was
the odd short ball at my head sort of stuff,
just to remind me, hey, welcome to Test match cricket,
you know what I mean. So I had a little
bit of an idea as to how I wanted to
go about my innings as well. And I did play
a game against the Western his team, I think it
could have been in Taalpo, and that just gave me
a bit of an insight into what they were like.
I think I scored twenty eighth there and it was
(11:14):
just like a one day warm warm up match sort
of thing. So I had a bit of an idea
as to what they were trying to bowl on how
they're trying to go about it. So I mean I
went into that Test match with a plant as well
and my strength as my sort of first class players
out there. No as, I like it through the off side,
back of length through the off side, and I guess
that was one of the ideas that I went in
(11:34):
was Okay, well these guys are going to pitch anything
on the front foot the boot, tall guys, you know, lanky,
just a different type of scenarios of the ball that
was getting was gonna be a lot different. So I
ended up working around, okay, well this is what's going
to be like in this is hung about scoring it.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
I remember in the lead up to the Test there
was a bit of chat about the fact you were
born in Australia and I remember the back page of
the I guess it would have been the Dominion, Dominion
Post whatever it was. The next day, he's a key
we Now do you remember that he liked you?
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (12:02):
I do, as amazing it's almost like, you know, it
was one of us, but he's yours now. But yeah,
it's it's sort of quite It's quite funny how like
that sort of tends to start happening, How they like
to claim us as theirs when we do.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Well when they're and we don't do well. I don't
want to know about us, you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (12:18):
So I get that. But you know, here's a guy
from northern Territory. Half of it, wouldn't know where I
was born.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Sort of stuff. Good quiz question.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
I think they need two international players that I've actually
from northern Urrech for myself and Damien Martin. So if
you ever find that on us spaces bottle cap or
a too he cap tiny thing Damien Marson. So, but yeah,
I mean like it was, you know, I got some
the zentlements five years of age. I put a lot
of my cricketing career down to going to very good
schools Huntley School, especially in Palmers North Boys High School,
(12:49):
and I just fell in love with the game. You know,
I had no genealogy around, no family played cricket, and
I just worked really really hard to be the best
I could be and to be give an opportunity to
obviously Writtensen and play for my country is as very
very special and to do what I have done. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
My whole career has had its ups and downs, and
you know I read about those and I was like, yep, well,
you know, unfortunately top sports is like that, you know
what I mean, And that's why I guess you know,
when I did have it in my day, I certainly
made the most of it.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Absolutely. We'll tell you what. No one can ever take
a double hundred or a couple of other hundreds in
your case away from you. So what's your what's your
involvement in cricket these days?
Speaker 4 (13:25):
So not a heac of a lot at the moment.
I do have opportunities over in India where I go
over there and actually sort of coach and sort of
mentor a lot of kids over there. I do have
a cricket academy, so I try and get the opportunity
to get over there as much as possible. I must
admit it. It's really hard point me. I mean, I've
got a brain sitting in here of thirty two years
(13:45):
I've experienced playing here in New Zealand on every conditions.
I know half the parks around here off the back
of my hand, and you know, I'm really keen to
sort of and put a lot of that knowledge onto
to a lot of the guys nowadays. You know, we
we were laughing about it before. You know, I was
looking at on the TV nineteen eighty three what it
used to be like back then to what cricket is now.
You know what I mean, It's like it's always evolving,
(14:05):
but yet always comes down to simple thing. It's a
bat and a ball, you know what I mean. So,
and I guess for me, it's just like I still
enjoy watching the game and I still partake. I still
played Premier cricket as best I can on a Friday
night for twenty twenty. So I guess that competitiveness is always.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Going to be there, and I don't think they'll ever
leave me.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Well, I hope that others can get the benefit of
your experience. I'm sure they do. I'll tell you what
else this did for me was bemoan now, the lack
of a boxing day test. I know they started it
and Dawley got seven for in the first one. You
got your double hundred, and it kind of you went
on for a few years and then sort of faded away.
I get the fact that white ball is the name
(14:46):
of the game these days, but the Boxing Day test
there was something special about it, even for a short time.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
I totally agree, and I wish they could bring it back.
I guess the thing is it's trying to get teams
over to New Zealand here around that time because Christmas
is quite special for a for a lot of teams
and players sort of stuff. But I would love to
bring it back here. I think should be a fixture
every year. The Australians do it, and look how well
they're doing with it, you know what I mean. It's
(15:11):
like a it's an iconic thing over there that that's
what they do. So you know, we should embrace it
and we should start looking into it. Yes, the od
I sort of side of it. The twenty twenty is
starting to take a take a big impact onto the game.
But there's nothing better, guys than you're sitting down there
on a nice day when you've got the Berhoda car
was behind you around Christmas time and just having a
few bevies and just watching cricket and sunshine.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
There's nothing better.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Yeah, Look, I well twenty five years on. I remember
sitting high in the vance stand for a bit, on
the bank for a bit watching you smash the windy
stall parts copy. It was just such a such a
brilliant moment in our history. Hey, thanks for reminiscing it.
But with his made and wandering down memory lane. Always
enjoyed chatting.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
I'm joy chatting cricket all the time, my friend. So
thanks opportunity, now.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Thanks for joining us. Matthew. Matthew Sinclair twenty five years
on from his double one hundred on debut and the
Boxing Day Test of nineteen ninety nine New Zealand against
the West and he's that was the second Boxing Day Test.
The first one nineteen ninety eight New Zealand beat India
by four wickets. I think Simon Doll got seven for
in that Test. But this one in nineteen ninety nine.
(16:11):
They look at the New Zealand team, Craig Spearman and
Gary Stead opening the batting, then Sinclair at three, Stephen Fleming,
Nathan ast Or, Craig McMillan, Chris Kens, adam PERORI, Dion
Nash batting at nine, Daniel Vittori and Shane O'Connor that
was the lineup. Sinclair two hundred and fourteen, Nathan Nastell
ninety three, Stephen Fleming got sixty seven and other contributions
(16:34):
from others five hundred and eighteen for nine declared the
Western He's bowled out for one hundred and seventy nine
in their first innings, with Chris Kens taking five for
forty four, and following on all out for two hundred
and thirty four in their second innings with Dion Nash
taking four for thirty eight. So it was all over
on the fourth day, an innings victory for New Zealand
(16:56):
in the Boxing Day Test of nineteen ninety nine. They
should bring it back, shouldn't they. I know we've got
cricket tonight in Mount Monganui, but a T twenty International
isn't quite the same. And I look at the scenes
in Melbourne and I know it's different over there, and
it's been going for a lot longer. But that's the thing.
If you're going to start it, carry it on, and
New Zealand cricket did for a while. There was a
(17:19):
Test in two thousand, two thousand and one, then in
two thousand and two it was replaced by a one
day back to a Test match in two thousand and three.
I remember that one. Pakistan beat US and Shabaktar was
frightening in that test, charing in and just bowling at
one hundred and fifty clicks. Maybe that's why they decided
not to have them anymore, because there wasn't a boxing
(17:41):
day Test after two thousand and three until twenty fourteen,
at which point it moved to Hagley Oval Test against
Sri Lanka, which New Zealand won by eight wickets, and
then twenty eighteen, also at Hagley, I went over Sri
Lanka by four hundred and twenty three runs. And the
last time we had a Boxing Day Test was in
(18:02):
twenty twenty when Pakistan were here. I went by New
Zealand by one hundred and one runs. As I say,
be great to have it back. I don't know whether
we ever will. The white ball cricket seems to pay
the bills, doesn't it. But having started the tradition at
the back end of the nineteen nineties, I just I
don't know where the New Zealand cricket and hindsight with
which they had carried it on. I certainly wish they
(18:22):
had and just kept it at the basin as well,
just as the Boxing Day Test and Australia is always
at the MCG. Speaking of which, Australia have picked up
a wicket reesharb Pant caught by Nathan Lyon off the
bowling of Scott Boland for twenty eight India one ninety
nine for six. They still trail by two hundred and
(18:44):
seventy five runs out there in the middle Ravendra Jadasia
He's on ten, joined by Natish Kumar Ready who is
unbeaten on seven. So still a bit of work to
do for India if they are to avoid the follow
on in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday or foll
of the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
We start this hour with a look back in time
a quarter of a century ago, twenty five years since
one of the most famous innings and our Test cricket
hastory point.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
He's gone for a sink bet.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Start at a A two going towards the boundary four uns.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
That is two hundred. What a moment for him to
choose it.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
In the nineteen ninety nine Boxing Day Test against the
West Indies at the Basin Reserve, Matthew Sinclair scored two
hundred and fourteen on Test debut, still the highest score
by a New Zealand batter on their Test debut and
it helped New Zealand to an innings victory over the
West Indies. Matthew Sinclair is with us for a bit
of a wander down memory lane twenty five years ago. Matthew,
(00:59):
hard to believe. How often do you think back to
that innings and that Test match?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Enough? I don't mate it.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
I think I think social media is pretty good for
that nowadays, you know what I mean? But Nah, it's
sort of it sort of felt like yesterday. Funny enough,
you know what I mean, just all the emotions and
all the all sort of I guess the good will
that happened with it, and I mean obviously it's in
the past now sort of stuff, but still good to
bring up and be lucky enough.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
To be part of it.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, I love reminiscing about this sort of thing. Before
that series, did you feel like you were in the
frame for selection into the New Zealand team?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Not really.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
I mean like I had relative pretty good domestic form
for Central Districts leading up to that, and as it
turned out, I mean, I only really got my opportunity
through an injury through Matt Horn, so he broke his
hand and then obviously got the call up home. Sidrich
Adien said Matt, you're in the You're in the Test match,
and I said, wow, okay, cool.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Way it went from him.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So you came into the New Zealand side with them,
you know a couple of guys who've been around for
a while. Stephen Fleming was the captain, Chris Kens was
in that team, adam PERORI and others. Was it an
intimidating team to come into or were you sort of
welcomed and what was the story there.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
No, I think it was pretty it was pretty welcoming.
I mean, obviously, here's a guy from the middle of nowhere,
you know what I mean. And when I mean nowhere,
I mean like central districts as as such. You know,
we are considered the country boys of first class cricket,
and I guess the opportunity to get on and play
with the big boys was certainly really overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
But I mean they embraced me.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
They obviously had played against quite a few of them
over the first class sort of time domestic period as well,
so and I was just like, wow, thankful for the opportunity.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Really, So in hindsight, how helpful was it to bat first?
Because West did He's won the Tass I've forgotten this
sent you in? Was that for you as a debutante
knowing you were batting three? Was that helpful rather than
having a couple of days in the field or a
day in the field, or would you preferred the other
way around?
Speaker 4 (02:58):
I think probably it was a great chance just to
get out there straight away. Really, I mean, I mean,
I have some people preferred the opportunity to give yourself
a bit of time to get into it, get the
feel of it sort of thing. But now it was
for me, it was just to get out there and
just just get amongst it.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Really.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
It was obviously pretty nerve wracking for obvious reasons, but
I guess, you know, my lone mindset. It was just
to try and get off the mark. That was my
That was one of my sort of strategies. And then
and I got a French cut. And then and I
think I remember walking down. I think Craig Spearman was
batting me with me at the other end and said,
matt Or skippy A you know aka so nickname, this
(03:34):
is going to be your day. And it's like, well, okay,
away from there, as.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
You were waiting to beat Yeah, yeah, Craig sperm and
Gary Stead was the was the other opener. Rah, So
he gets out, you're as you're waiting to bat I mean,
are you are you nervous? What are the emotions like
at that time?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I mean I'm sort of quite a talkative sort of guy.
Like if my emotions are more like if I feel
like I'm nervous, I tend to talk too much, so
and that tend to happen quite a bit with me, unfortunately.
But I guess you know, I was sitting next to
a friend of mine who had played I think through
age group cricket, and I just sort of talked away
through to him and and just so of just went
(04:11):
about my normal business, to be honest, And I guess
the other thing about it, like I am. You know,
we talked about crick had been a big mental game,
and I guess for me it really was to be
given the opportunity to obviously play from his zeel against
very good with Indy side, and I just kept self
talking myself up and said, hey, look I can do this,
I can do this. And funny enough, the next day
I just went out and just the mindset was just
(04:32):
such that I could do this. And that's pretty much
how it ended up being.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, and you, I mean, Craig Speaman got out, Stephen
Fleming comes and you had a good partnership with him,
and then following that a good partnership with Nathan Astell
as well. How how helpful were they as you built
your runnings?
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Yeah, I think the key was the partnerships. And there's
nothing better batting with batting and partnerships, and obviously with
like Nathan being there being in the team for a
while as well, and obviously better with Steven as well,
just sort of coursing me through the through the trials
and tribulations of Test match cricker really, so they were
real massive help. And I guess the other thing was
(05:09):
nothing better than just keep scoring runs, you know what
I mean. We had the imputus of good partnerships and
the opportunity to keep scoring runs, so we just kept
sort of bringing it onto them.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So you get to thirty, you get to forty, you
bring up your half century. Are you starting to feel
comfortable at the stage?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Ah, slightly, I like.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
But the ability to get off the mark was my
first initial thing, and then I guess it just sort
of kept going from there. When you sort of talk
about sort of sportsmen getting in the zone sort of thing,
I started really pretty much getting into that zone and
was starting to feel slightly comfortable with what was going on,
and which is like really reveling and obviously a big
crowd as well, so that pumped me up.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
And yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Just showing my showcases, really just showing my skills. And
I guess the ball a lot of majority of the
times was in my areas and I just maximized on it.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Tell us about the moment you brought up your hundred.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Yeah, that was pretty special. I mean they talk about
the nervous nineties and that sort of thing. It was
just like, well, yeah, that was definitely my mind. But
you know, at the end of the day, it was
just like I think I remember talking to John right
funny enough prior to the Test match and he said
to me in the change said, Matt, you know, look
at the big squad up there and look at it,
you know, Ms Sinclair one hundred. And then it was
(06:21):
like wow, okay, so and then yeah, there it was
ended up being like that in that stage. So yeah,
it was very special to bring obviously, you know, obviously
one hundred it's a pinnacle of most cricketers obviously. But
then it was like, well, no, I just want to
keep going.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah, And I was going to ask you about that
because I guess having scored or even having scored thirty
or forty, I haven't failed on my Test Dayboo. You
bring up one hundred, and man, I've scored one hundred
on Test day boo. But then what sort of internal
conversations are you having with yourself to say right, this
isn't enough. I'm carrying on here.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Yeah, I think it's built around I guess a lot
of you know, make Haywall sunshine sort of thing. And
I guess through my domestic career, you know, I was
always about when I do get you know, hundreds or
we call it big scores, and I just wanted to
keep going and going, you know, I mean, I just
wanted to be someone different in that respect, you know,
you hear, like you said before, a lot of people
(07:11):
getting thirties and forties, you know, and I try and
teach sort of guys and the kids and those going
through firstas cricket. You know, that's only that's sort of
part of the so called problem. Let's get the solution,
the solutions to keep.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Going and going.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Really, I mean, we should really be seeing the ball
like a absolute beach ball, you know what I mean. So,
and I guess may it was just like, well, I'm
just going to keep going here because we were in
a good position. I had a lot of partnerships with
various other guys through the through the endings, and we
just kept going on with that and keep rolling with it.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Wasn't I think my memory is right.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
Here.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
It is a long time ago. It was Nathan asked
to run out as you tried to bring up your
two hundred, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Yeah, yeah, And I think Nathan will probably never forgive that.
I will say that it was his call, not mine.
So but if Nathan's obviously listened, this is probably different
instead of variation. But I mean that just sort of shows,
you know, just the I guess the closest we had
in the team, that we were pushing each other to
do what we need to do and having a good
parts with Nathan as well help that, and obviously trying
(08:08):
to get me through to that as well.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
So shortly after that you did bring up the two hundred.
What what is it like looking up at that school
board and seeing ms and clear two hundred?
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Yeah, I mean obviously that was just I mean, other
records just kept falling and falling. Really, I guess through
the through the times and the period that I was
kept batting, and I remember we break I had, you
know what, I mean, Ken's was saying, hey, Skip, you
know look what you've done. You're hitting, you're taking, you're
pushing everybody else down sort of stuff. You know what
I mean, just keep going, man. You know, typical bottlers
a you know, have as much time on the sidelines
(08:38):
as possible sort of things. So they were telling me
all the way through it, hey, just just keep going,
you keep breaking the records, and I just kept going.
I mean like eventually fatigue sort of did start impact
things on the ennings. I can't remember findy how long
I bat it for probably eight nine hours.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Sort of stuff. It was certainly up there sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
But you know it was a sort of got on me,
I guess really just for the mental sort of side
of it. But yeah, to see that up on the
scool would get there's something very special.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah, close to nine hours it was. So eventually, say,
fatigue setting, you're out for two fourteen, So you walk
back in. Are are you then?
Speaker 4 (09:11):
What?
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Sitting alone just reflecting in the in the changing room
under the basin there for for a few months.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, it was pretty cool.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
It was just like you know, when they bring up
the highlights and it was just just awesome just to
see the highlights and it was like, well it was
that actually me, you know what I mean. And yeah,
it just like I said before, it's like I was
in the zone, you know. I mean I just felt like,
no matter what you threw at me, I had an
answer for it. And that was pretty special. And a
lot of cricketers will talk to you about that. When
they're in that zone and things are happening, it just
(09:40):
ends to happen. And I guess that sort of that
day day and a half for me was pretty much
part of that.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Your three Test centuries with that one two fourteen, two
hundred and four not out and one fifty. I guess
goes back to what you said before. But what was
it in you that wanted to make big hundreds?
Speaker 4 (09:57):
I think just to never give in and to never
give up. And like I said of mentioned before, like
as batsman, you know, we you know, I just want
to to keep going. You know, we talk about sort
of the figures of getting one hundred or one fifty,
two hundred. Well, I looked at us trying to get
a big score. So I always kept sort of sayingmself,
what's a big score? Keep getting a big score? And
(10:18):
fow know, we talked about as various work mates. You know,
he look like a Brian Lara, you know, the guy
just kept batting for long periods of time, you know
what I mean, And it's like, well, that's what he's
renowned for, and that's that's the mental I guess I
just had that mental attitude to keep going. I just
never wanted to give in. I just wanted to keep going.
And I guess that's my forte, I guess of all
my cricket, I guess you know, when I did get
(10:39):
a big score, I'd try to keep going and going,
you know, because it's just the beauty about it.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Well, the Western he's sledging you, chatting to you early
in the innings, and I guess they would have quietened
down later. But were they big chatter as the Windy's boys.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
No, they weren't.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I think initially when I got out there there was
the odd short ball at my head sort of stuff,
just to remind me, hey, welcome to Test match cricket,
you know what I mean. So I had a little
bit of an idea as to how I wanted to
go about my innings as well. And I did play
a game against the Western his team, I think it
could have been in Taalpo, and that just gave me
a bit of an insight into what they were like.
I think I scored twenty eighth there and it was
(11:14):
just like a one day warm warm up match sort
of thing. So I had a bit of an idea
as to what they were trying to bowl on how
they're trying to go about it. So I mean I
went into that Test match with a plant as well
and my strength as my sort of first class players
out there. No as, I like it through the off side,
back of length through the off side, and I guess
that was one of the ideas that I went in
(11:34):
was Okay, well these guys are going to pitch anything
on the front foot the boot, tall guys, you know, lanky,
just a different type of scenarios of the ball that
was getting was gonna be a lot different. So I
ended up working around, okay, well this is what's going
to be like in this is hung about scoring it.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
I remember in the lead up to the Test there
was a bit of chat about the fact you were
born in Australia and I remember the back page of
the I guess it would have been the Dominion, Dominion
Post whatever it was. The next day, he's a key
we Now do you remember that he liked you?
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (12:02):
I do, as amazing it's almost like, you know, it
was one of us, but he's yours now. But yeah,
it's it's sort of quite It's quite funny how like
that sort of tends to start happening, How they like
to claim us as theirs when we do.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Well when they're and we don't do well. I don't
want to know about us, you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (12:18):
So I get that. But you know, here's a guy
from northern Territory. Half of it, wouldn't know where I
was born.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Sort of stuff. Good quiz question.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
I think they need two international players that I've actually
from northern Urrech for myself and Damien Martin. So if
you ever find that on us spaces bottle cap or
a too he cap tiny thing Damien Marson. So, but yeah,
I mean like it was, you know, I got some
the zentlements five years of age. I put a lot
of my cricketing career down to going to very good
schools Huntley School, especially in Palmers North Boys High School,
(12:49):
and I just fell in love with the game. You know,
I had no genealogy around, no family played cricket, and
I just worked really really hard to be the best
I could be and to be give an opportunity to
obviously Writtensen and play for my country is as very
very special and to do what I have done. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
My whole career has had its ups and downs, and
you know I read about those and I was like, yep, well,
you know, unfortunately top sports is like that, you know
what I mean, And that's why I guess you know,
when I did have it in my day, I certainly
made the most of it.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Absolutely. We'll tell you what. No one can ever take
a double hundred or a couple of other hundreds in
your case away from you. So what's your what's your
involvement in cricket these days?
Speaker 4 (13:25):
So not a heac of a lot at the moment.
I do have opportunities over in India where I go
over there and actually sort of coach and sort of
mentor a lot of kids over there. I do have
a cricket academy, so I try and get the opportunity
to get over there as much as possible. I must
admit it. It's really hard point me. I mean, I've
got a brain sitting in here of thirty two years
(13:45):
I've experienced playing here in New Zealand on every conditions.
I know half the parks around here off the back
of my hand, and you know, I'm really keen to
sort of and put a lot of that knowledge onto
to a lot of the guys nowadays. You know, we
we were laughing about it before. You know, I was
looking at on the TV nineteen eighty three what it
used to be like back then to what cricket is now.
You know what I mean, It's like it's always evolving,
(14:05):
but yet always comes down to simple thing. It's a
bat and a ball, you know what I mean. So,
and I guess for me, it's just like I still
enjoy watching the game and I still partake. I still
played Premier cricket as best I can on a Friday
night for twenty twenty. So I guess that competitiveness is always.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Going to be there, and I don't think they'll ever
leave me.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Well, I hope that others can get the benefit of
your experience. I'm sure they do. I'll tell you what
else this did for me was bemoan now, the lack
of a boxing day test. I know they started it
and Dawley got seven for in the first one. You
got your double hundred, and it kind of you went
on for a few years and then sort of faded away.
I get the fact that white ball is the name
(14:46):
of the game these days, but the Boxing Day test
there was something special about it, even for a short time.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
I totally agree, and I wish they could bring it back.
I guess the thing is it's trying to get teams
over to New Zealand here around that time because Christmas
is quite special for a for a lot of teams
and players sort of stuff. But I would love to
bring it back here. I think should be a fixture
every year. The Australians do it, and look how well
they're doing with it, you know what I mean. It's
(15:11):
like a it's an iconic thing over there that that's
what they do. So you know, we should embrace it
and we should start looking into it. Yes, the od
I sort of side of it. The twenty twenty is
starting to take a take a big impact onto the game.
But there's nothing better, guys than you're sitting down there
on a nice day when you've got the Berhoda car
was behind you around Christmas time and just having a
few bevies and just watching cricket and sunshine.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
There's nothing better.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Yeah, Look, I well twenty five years on. I remember
sitting high in the vance stand for a bit, on
the bank for a bit watching you smash the windy
stall parts copy. It was just such a such a
brilliant moment in our history. Hey, thanks for reminiscing it.
But with his made and wandering down memory lane. Always
enjoyed chatting.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
I'm joy chatting cricket all the time, my friend. So
thanks opportunity, now.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Thanks for joining us. Matthew. Matthew Sinclair twenty five years
on from his double one hundred on debut and the
Boxing Day Test of nineteen ninety nine New Zealand against
the West and he's that was the second Boxing Day Test.
The first one nineteen ninety eight New Zealand beat India
by four wickets. I think Simon Doll got seven for
in that Test. But this one in nineteen ninety nine.
(16:11):
They look at the New Zealand team, Craig Spearman and
Gary Stead opening the batting, then Sinclair at three, Stephen Fleming,
Nathan ast Or, Craig McMillan, Chris Kens, adam PERORI, Dion
Nash batting at nine, Daniel Vittori and Shane O'Connor that
was the lineup. Sinclair two hundred and fourteen, Nathan Nastell
ninety three, Stephen Fleming got sixty seven and other contributions
(16:34):
from others five hundred and eighteen for nine declared the
Western He's bowled out for one hundred and seventy nine
in their first innings, with Chris Kens taking five for
forty four, and following on all out for two hundred
and thirty four in their second innings with Dion Nash
taking four for thirty eight. So it was all over
on the fourth day, an innings victory for New Zealand
(16:56):
in the Boxing Day Test of nineteen ninety nine. They
should bring it back, shouldn't they. I know we've got
cricket tonight in Mount Monganui, but a T twenty International
isn't quite the same. And I look at the scenes
in Melbourne and I know it's different over there, and
it's been going for a lot longer. But that's the thing.
If you're going to start it, carry it on, and
New Zealand cricket did for a while. There was a
(17:19):
Test in two thousand, two thousand and one, then in
two thousand and two it was replaced by a one
day back to a Test match in two thousand and three.
I remember that one. Pakistan beat US and Shabaktar was
frightening in that test, charing in and just bowling at
one hundred and fifty clicks. Maybe that's why they decided
not to have them anymore, because there wasn't a boxing
(17:41):
day Test after two thousand and three until twenty fourteen,
at which point it moved to Hagley Oval Test against
Sri Lanka, which New Zealand won by eight wickets, and
then twenty eighteen, also at Hagley, I went over Sri
Lanka by four hundred and twenty three runs. And the
last time we had a Boxing Day Test was in
(18:02):
twenty twenty when Pakistan were here. I went by New
Zealand by one hundred and one runs. As I say,
be great to have it back. I don't know whether
we ever will. The white ball cricket seems to pay
the bills, doesn't it. But having started the tradition at
the back end of the nineteen nineties, I just I
don't know where the New Zealand cricket and hindsight with
which they had carried it on. I certainly wish they
(18:22):
had and just kept it at the basin as well,
just as the Boxing Day Test and Australia is always
at the MCG. Speaking of which, Australia have picked up
a wicket reesharb Pant caught by Nathan Lyon off the
bowling of Scott Boland for twenty eight India one ninety
nine for six. They still trail by two hundred and
(18:44):
seventy five runs out there in the middle Ravendra Jadasia
He's on ten, joined by Natish Kumar Ready who is
unbeaten on seven. So still a bit of work to
do for India if they are to avoid the follow
on in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday or foll
of the podcast on iHeartRadio
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