He achieved greater success against the county sides, finishing second in the batting averages, and earned praise from Wisden, which called him "a star in the making".

At war's end, Donnelly was a member of the Dominions side that played an England XI at Lord's in 1945, making 133,[3] including a six hit onto the roof of the pavilion, before going up to Worcester College, Oxford, to read history.

He continued to impress observers with his attacking style of play, including former champion C B Fry, who believed Donnelly to be the best left-handed batsman he had seen.

On this form, Donnelly was chosen for the 1949 New Zealand tour of England, where he continued to enhance his reputation, making 462 runs in the Test series at 77.00, including scores of 64, 206, 75 and 80.

In 1960, Neville Cardus expressed the opinion that Donnelly was the finest left-handed foreign batsman to play in England since World War II.

Donnelly's favourite shot, a legside flick off the pads, often had spectators gasping in admiration, while some commentators suggested he was the best cover-point of all time.

A biography titled Martin Donnelly: New Zealand Cricket's Master Craftsman was written by Rod Nye and published in 1999.