Meet Matt Fisher: Facts About New Zealand’s Newest Pace Prospect

The New Zealand Cricket selectors have included a new name for the Test Series against Zimbabwe, and it’s caused a stir. Welcome to the mix, Matt Fisher, a young right-arm medium-fast bowler who has yet to play for New Zealand ‘A’ nor make his international debut, but he’s made his mark in domestic cricket. As New Zealand looks to evolve and experiment with its future outside of the World Test Championship cycle, this may be the start of its journey. So if you’ve been asking yourself, Who is this New Zealand cricketer? And what is he doing in the spotlight? Here are five things to reset yourself.

Young and Ready: Fisher’s Early Days and Rise Through the Ranks

Matt Fisher is more than just a young gun. Matt Fisher, born on November 10, 1999, in Auckland, grew up with a natural flair for fast bowling and a quiet hunger to break through. He is a spritely 25 years of age and is already on the scene. Fisher had the opportunity to play for New Zealand before entering the senior team after having a chance at Under-19 cricket, which got him on the big stage. He has a domestic career with Northern Districts, which is one of the main playing first-class cricket teams in New Zealand. Fisher is fairly new to the circuit, but has a reputation for workmanlike right-arm seam bowling.

What stands out is how far Fisher has come. After a tough first-class debut in March 2021—going wicketless for 88 runs in 20 overs—he’s steadily found his rhythm and is starting to make waves.

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Numbers That Impress: Fisher’s Domestic Stats Speak Volumes

Numbers don’t lie, and Fisher’s numbers are showing he is taking wickets and is not giving runs away. Fisher has taken 51 wickets at an unbelievable average of just about 25, and an average economy of 3.7 runs an over in a total of 14 first-class games, with good returns for a young fast bowler. Fisher has four four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls and a best innings of 6/45; and these numbers are not just reflecting his ability to restrict runs at a time when it is vital; they show that he can take wickets when it is required.

This kind of performance also demonstrates that he can bowl long overs and apply pressure, two key aspects of Test cricket. For a player yet to play for his country at international level, Fisher has put up a really good marker for the selectors, which indicates to them that they are potentially looking at a guy who has real upper ceiling for development.

Experience on the Big Youth Stage and Against Indian Talent

Fisher had previously shown his talents even before he stepped onto the home stage at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. The Kiwis did not go past the quarter-finals, but Fisher produced seven wickets from his six matches and showed what he was capable of at the crunch time. Fast forward to 2022, and he got the chance to put himself to the test against some pretty significant opposition in India, playing for New Zealand A in an unofficial Test series against India A.

In one of Fisher’s games, he took four wickets with two of which were against Indian batters who are highly rated, like Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan. Competing against quality on both youth and senior stages should provide Fisher with good confidence heading into his first real Test.

So, will Matt Fisher be the breakthrough Kiwi pacer we’ve been waiting for? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: when the ball swings his way, cricket fans will be keeping a keen eye on this rising star.