Matt Quinn

Tall and able to extract awkward bounce, Matt Quinn was New Zealand's leading wicket-taker at the 2012 U19 World Cup. He made his first-class debut for Auckland and represented New Zealand A before taking advantage of a British passport and moving to England to play for Essex, where he was part of the squads that won the Championship in 2017 and a first-class and T20 double in 2019 - though regular injuries checked his ability to hold down a place in the side.

His potential was evident following his Essex debut in 2016, as he took his Championship wickets at 21 apiece. The highlight came at the Cheltenham Festival where he swung the ball at a decent pace to claim figures of 7 for 76 (he had never previously taken more than four wickets in a completed innings). Quinn only managed three Championship appearances the following summer due to a back injury, as Essex returned to Division One in style, but continued to be a useful option, offering glimpses of his ability across all three formats.

First-team opportunities remained sparse over the next few years, though he won himself a place in Essex folklore at The Oval in 2018, fending off a bouncer barrage from Morne Morkel and surviving a shoulder-barge from Jade Dernbach to see Essex through to a one-wicket win alongside Ryan ten Doeschate. In 2021, he went on loan to Kent after slipping down the pecking order at Chelmsford, and signed a long-term deal with them later that summer.
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