Martin Guptill

Martin Guptill
Personal information
Full name	Martin James Guptill
Born	30 September 1986 (age 37); Auckland, New Zealand
Nickname	Guppy, Marty Two-Toes, The Fish
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off spin
Role	Batsman
International information
National side	New Zealand;
Test debut (cap 243)	18 March 2009 v India
Last Test	23 March 2012 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 152)	10 January 2009 v West Indies
Last ODI	3 March 2012 v South Africa
Domestic team information
2005–present	Auckland
2011–2012	Derbyshire
Career statistics
	Source: [1], 1 April 2013

Martin James Guptill (born 30 September 1986 in Auckland) is a New Zealand cricketer. He is a top-order batsman and has represented New Zealand in different age groups.

Early life

Guptill attended Avondale College and played in the school's 1st XI cricket team. He was also a prefect in his final year.

At the age 14, Guptill was involved in a crown forklift truck accident and lost three toes.^[1] (This fact was revealed to the world by provincial teammate Scott Styris whilst Styris was commentating on Guptill's ODI debut. This has since earned Guptill the nickname "Two Toes" within the Black Caps team.) When Guptill was in the hospital, his father asked Jeff Crowe if a New Zealand player could visit him. Stephen Fleming, the then New Zealand captain, visited him at the hospital the next day.

International youth cricket

Guptill first represented New Zealand in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup held in Sri Lanka in 2006.

First class debut

In domestic cricket, he plays for Auckland Aces (he plays in Auckland's club cricket competition for Suburbs New Lynn). In first class cricket, he scored 99 on first-class debut. In January 2011 it was announced that Guptill had signed for Derbyshire in England. He was to take over from Australian player Usman Khawaja for the second half of the County Championship & CB40 season and the whole of the T20.^[2]

International debuts

He made his One Day International debut for New Zealand on the 10th January 2009 against the West Indies in Auckland, becoming the first New Zealander to score a century on his one-day debut. He reached the landmark with a huge six off the bowling of Chris Gayle. His score of 122 not out is the highest debut score in New Zealand ODI history, and second highest debut score ever in ODIs. He also gained the highest ODI score for a New Zealander against the West Indies and became the first cricketer from his country to carry his bat through a completed innings. He made his Test debut against India in the first Test in Hamilton in March 2009, scoring 14 and 48.

On 14 December 2009, Guptill made his test bowling debut in the second innings of the match against Pakistan in Napier. In his innings, he made two 'caught and bowled' deliveries to Salman Butt & Imran Farhat. At that point, he had 2 wickets for 16 runs.^[3] The test ended in a dour draw due to rain, but he ended with 3 for 37 in 13.2 overs, when he trapped Mohammad Asif for lbw after referral for the final wicket of the Pakistani innings.He is one of three players to score 30 runs or more in 5 consecutive t20 innings.

Career

In the tour of England 2013 Martin Guptill led from the opening position scoring back to back not out hundreds. At the first One Day International at Lord's he guided a successful chase scoring 103* with a strike-rate of 83.73, following up with a 189* at the Rosebowl, Southampton in the second ODI. HIs 189* is the highest score by a New Zealander in an One Day International and contributed to the fifth-highest total in One Day International history(359).With this innings, he also equalled the record set by Sir Vivian Richards for most runs scored in an ODI on English soil by one batsmen.

Personal Life

In 2012, after poor form in Big Bash League and Tour of Sri Lanka, Guptill smashed a last-ball boundary for 101 runs to win the second Twenty20 match against South Africa after overcoming illness.