If ever the weight of two double-centuries scored so early in an international career - two in the first 12 Tests - has become a yoke, then that is the case for Mathew Sinclair. He scored 214 on his debut, against West Indies at Wellington in 1999, and followed that with 204 not out against Pakistan in the following summer. But despite this most promising of starts, Sinclair has struggled to gain a permanent place in both the Test and one-day sides after disappointing scores. He was recalled for the third Test against South Africa at Wellington in March 2004, but an impressive 74 in the first innings wasn't enough to get him picked on the tour of England in 2004. However, after Craig McMillan broke his finger in a tour match against Leicestershire, Sinclair, who was playing league cricket in East Anglia, was called up as cover. Similarly, Sinclair was drafted into the Bangladesh touring squad when Michael Papps dislocated his shoulder, and he duly struck 76 in the first Test. A luckless tour of Australia in 2004-05 lost him his place and his national contract, but he was signed up again in 2006 and played the home series against Sri Lanka in December. He was surprised to be dumped from the contract list in 2007 and indicated he had lost patience with New Zealand and was looking to continue his career overseas, but was offered a reprieve when Hamish Marshall left the scene. Sinclair might have been on the other side of the Tasman: he was born in Australia's Northern Territory, but his mother moved to New Zealand after Sinclair's father was killed in a car crash when he was only five.
Lynn McConnell June 2007