A top-order batsman and medium-pace bowler, Marcus Stoinis debuted for his home state of Western Australia at the age of 19, but won limited opportunities with the Warriors and moved to Victoria to further his career. Eventually persuaded by his piles of runs for Northcote, the Victorian selectors gave him a run of games in the Sheffield Shield side during 2013-14 and Stoinis rewarded them with an outstanding 170 against Tasmania, a breakthrough innings that led to him becoming a regular in the Victoria top order. Stoinis was Victoria's leading run-scorer in the 2014-15 Sheffield Shield season and was called into Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against England in 2015, when he debuted, playing an ODI and a T20.

He did not impress enough to secure a permanent place in the national squad then, but continued to impress in first-class cricket. When he got his second ODI in January 2017, only four men had scored more Sheffield Shield runs than Stoinis (1855 at 40.32) since the start of 2014. And what an ODI comeback it was: after claiming three wickets, Stoinis scored 146 not out from No. 7 to help Australia to within seven runs of a remarkable come-from-behind win against New Zealand at Eden Park - at one stage Australia were 67 for 6 chasing 287. In a 54-run tenth-wicket stand, No. 11 Josh Hazlewood did not hit a run or even face a ball in his 26-minute stay. Then, Hazlewood was run out in another Auckland ODI classic.
ESPNcricinfo staff