He holds the equal world record for the highest Test score (214) by a number three batsman on debut when he opened his international career against West Indies in 1999.
Born in Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, Sinclair moved to New Zealand with his mother after the death of his father in an accident when Mathew was only five years old.
A right-handed middle-order batsman occasionally used as an opener, he played for Central Districts from the 1995–96 season, and in a period when the New Zealand cricket authorities were actively developing their infrastructure with the aim of raising the standards of the New Zealand team, he played for both Academy and A teams before making his Test debut.
But despite this most promising of starts, Sinclair struggled to gain a permanent place in both the Test and one-day sides after disappointing scores.
At 37, after 18 seasons in the Central Districts side he is the team's all-time highest run-scorer, with more than 20,000 runs across all formats and remained a solid performer to the last, averaging over 40 in 2012–13.