Matt Mason (cricketer)
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Matthew Sean Mason | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Claremont, Western Australia | 20 March 1974||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm medium-fast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Bowler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1996/97–1997/98 | Western Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2002–2011 | Worcestershire (squad no. 24) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FC debut | 14 February 1997 Western Australia v Queensland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LA debut | 8 February 1997 Western Australia v Tasmania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: CricketArchive, 28 May 2020 |
Matthew Sean Mason (born 20 March 1974) is an Australian former first-class cricketer. He holds an Irish passport and was therefore not considered an overseas player when playing for Worcestershire County Cricket Club. He played as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, who benefits from his 6-foot 6-inch (1.98 m) height, and a lower-order right-handed batsman.
Mason started his career with Western Australia in 1996–97, and made his senior debut in a February List A win over Tasmania, taking the wicket of Michael di Venuto. Six days later he made his first appearance in first-class cricket in a drawn Sheffield Shield match against Queensland, but could manage only 1-72. He batted as a nightwatchman in his team's second innings, but made just 3 before being bowled by Michael Kasprowicz.
He played another three first-class games and one List A match in 1997–98, but never took more than two wickets in an innings and drifted out of the side. A few years later, Worcestershire coach Tom Moody, who had known Mason since the bowler was a teenager, tried to entice him to New Road to play county cricket, but was turned down; however, a second approach was accepted and Mason became a Worcestershire player in time for the 2002 season.
Mason's first-team experience at Worcester began in the Benson & Hedges Cup, where he took seven wickets in three matches. A number of further one-day games followed, before he was given his County Championship debut against Northamptonshire in July. He responded with six wickets in the match, and kept his place in the first-class side for the rest of the season, taking 5–50 against Nottinghamshire. In the last game of the season in September, he also scored a vital 50 as Worcestershire squeezed past Derbyshire by just one wicket.
2003 saw Mason firmly established in the first team, and he took 53 first-class wickets that year at a fine average of 21.58, as well as 26 wickets at 24.92 in limited-overs cricket. A highlight came in early July, when he took 6–68 in the second innings (and 9–116 in the match) against Durham as Worcestershire recorded a 31-run win. In 2004 he took 52 wickets, albeit at an average slightly over 30, and he passed the 50-wicket mark for the third successive summer in 2005.
He struggled with injuries through 2007 and 2008 before returning to the side and in August 2008, signed a deal with the club which saw him assume the dual role of player and bowling coach in 2009.[1]
Career Best Performances
Batting | Bowling (innings) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | Figures | Fixture | Venue | Season | |
FC | 63 | Worcestershire v Warwickshire | Worcester | 2004 | 8/45 | Worcestershire v Gloucestershire | Worcester | 2006 |
LA | 25 | Worcestershire v Durham | Worcester | 2004 | 4/34 | Worcestershire v Surrey | Guildford | 2003 |
T20 | 8* | Worcestershire v Warwickshire | Edgbaston | 2005 | 3/42 | Worcestershire v Somerset | Worcester | 2006 |
References
- ^ New Deal And New Role For Matt Mason At New Road, Cricket World, 14 August 2008