Matt Mason (cricketer)

This article is about the Australian cricketer. For the Welsh cricketer of the same name, see Matthew Mason (Welsh cricketer).

Matthew Mason

Personal information
Full name	Matthew Sean Mason
Born	(1974-03-20) 20 March 1974 Claremont, Western Australia
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
Competition FC LA T20 Matches 101 82 11 Runs scored 1,387 171 18 Batting average 13.59 7.12 6 100s/50s 0/5 0/0 0/0 Top score 63 25 8* Balls bowled 18,618 3,714 227 Wickets 318 94 9 Bowling average 27.35 28.48 32.33 5 wickets in innings 10 0 0 10 wickets in match 1 0 0 Best bowling 8/45 4/34 3/42 Catches/stumpings 27/– 16/– 3/–
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.

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

External links

• Matt Mason at ESPNcricinfo