Barry Sinclair

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Barry Whitley Sinclair MNZM (23 October 1936 – 10 July 2022) was a New Zealand cricketer and captain. A right-handed batsman from Wellington, he played 21 Test matches for New Zealand between 1963 and 1968 and led the team from 1966 to 1968. He also played for Wellington from 1955/56 to 1970/71.

Sinclair’s best Test score was 138 against South Africa in Auckland in 1963-64, the only century in that series and at the time the highest by a New Zealander in New Zealand. His highest first-class score was 148 for Wellington against the Australians in 1966-67. He scored six first-class centuries, with three of them in Test matches, and took two Test wickets. He retired from international cricket in 1968 to focus on work.

Educated at Rongotai College in Wellington, Sinclair was known for his neat, dependable batting and strong cover fielding, despite being only about 5 ft 3 in tall. He reportedly handled short-pitched bowling well and was praised for his cutting and on-drive shots.

Off the field, Sinclair became the inaugural patron of the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association in 2010 and was named a Legend of Wellington Sport in 2015. In 2016, he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to cricket. He passed away on 10 July 2022 at the age of 85.