Matthew Wood - a short profile of the Glamorgan batsman by Andrew Hignell

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Player:

MJ Wood

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DateLine: 23rd January 2008

 

Matthew Wood started his Yorkshire career with a flourish, as in 1998 he scored a century in his second Championship match, against Derbyshire, and ended his first season with over 1000 runs under his belt.

 

In 2001 he played a number of impressive innings, including four centuries, as Yorkshire won the County Championship, and at the end of the summer, he was amongst the first intake into the ECB National Academy in 2001/02.

 

Matthew enjoying a hugely productive season in 2003 as he scored 1,423 runs in the Championship including a career best score of 207 against Somerset at Taunton. He was an ever present member of the Yorkshire side in 2005 when they won promotion to the first division, but he lost his place in the Yorkshire side in 2006, and at the end of 2007 he agreed to join Glamorgan on a two-year contract.

 

Matthew duly made his Glamorgan debut in 2008, and struck two half-centuries in the Friends Provident Trophy matches in the first half of the season. However, he met with less success in the four-day matches, averaging 19.00 in 7 first-class matches, and after playing in the Championship match against Warwickshire at Cardiff in early June, Matthew lost his place in the county's side.

 

Despite still having a year to run on his contract, Matthew decided in February 2009 to retire from first-class cricket.

 

(January 2008)

(Article: Copyright © 2009 Dr.A.K.Hignell)