Matt Henry

National Team: New Zealand National Cricket Team ( TEST ODI )

Domestic Team: Canterbury Cricket Team

Date of Birth: 14.12.1991

Batting Style: Right Hand

Role: Bowler

Bowling Style: Right-arm Fast Seam

Batting

Pos. Score

Bowling

Pos. Score

All-rounder

Pos. Score

Test Rankings

151 154

66 304

69 46

ODI Rankings

220 228

6 691

40 157

T20I Rankings

255 19

137 189

161 3

Matt Henry - Professional Bowler from New Zealand

Matt Henry is a New Zealand professional cricketer who plays for Canterbury and the New Zealand national team as a fast bowler. He is a world champion with New Zealand in the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021, a two-time runner-up at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2015 and 2019, and also a finalist in last year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Matt Henry: Biography And Sporting Career

Matt Henry (full name: Matthew James Henry) was born on December 14, 1991, in Christchurch, the largest city on New Zealand’s South Island. He first developed an interest in cricket while attending St. Joseph’s Primary School and then continued to sharpen his skills at St. Bede’s College, a prestigious boys’ school known for its strong cricket program.

In 2010, at the age of 18, he received a scholarship to study at St. Joseph’s College in England. That year in Ipswich became a period of deep immersion in England’s cricket culture: he kept working on his craft as a fast bowler in a highly competitive environment. After completing his formal education and returning home with a wealth of new experience, the young cricketer quickly caught the attention of regional scouts.

In March 2011, he made his first-class cricket debut for Canterbury in the Plunket Shield and took 3 wickets in his very first match against Wellington – a solid return for a 19-year-old newcomer. Despite that promising start, Matt soon had to undergo major back surgery due to a stress fracture in his spine, which forced him to step away from the game for a full year. Speaking to the Daily Mail about that difficult stretch, the cricketer said:

“For me, it was a real turning point in my career. It was pretty daunting at 20, staring down a back operation, but the screws fixed it and I knew that issue shouldn’t stop me from playing. It was stronger than it ever was”.

When he returned for the 2012/13 season, Henry looked like a far more mature player. Thanks to his consistency, Matt was selected in 2013 for New Zealand A for a tour of India and series against Sri Lanka.

Then, in early 2014, Matt finally earned his long-awaited call-up to the senior New Zealand squad. In his very first ODI against India, he took 4 wickets for 38 runs. His victims included such big names as Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. It was a seriously strong debut, and it helped Henry nail down his place in the national side, paving the way for further success:

• 2015: silver medalist as part of the national team at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015;
• 2018: a brilliant County Championship season for Kent – 75 wickets in 11 matches (the best bowler in Division Two);
• 2019: runner-up with New Zealand at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup;
• 2021: member of the team that won the inaugural ICC World Test Championship;
• 2023: in a match against Pakistan, Henry claimed a hat-trick, becoming only the fourth New Zealander in history to achieve that feat in T20 cricket;
• 2025: finalist at the ICC Champions Trophy.

Later that same year, Matt Henry received the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal as New Zealand’s best male player and was named both Test Cricketer of the Year and ODI Cricketer of the Year by New Zealand Cricket. He was also recognized as the CEAT Men’s ODI Bowler of the Year. As of today, Henry is ranked among the top five bowlers in the world in the ICC Test rankings and continues to be a real threat to batters at any level.

Matt Henry: Personal Life And Interesting Facts

As for his personal life, the cricketer is married to Holly Henry (née Holly Carran). Holly is a journalist and content creator. She often supports her husband at matches and award ceremonies, including the NZ Cricket Awards 2025. The couple got married in 2020 after several years together. They are raising their daughter, Annabelle Rose Henry, and are expecting their second child. In February 2026, during the T20 World Cup 2026, Matt was granted paternity leave and flew home after the match against England to be with his wife for the birth.

Overall, Matt Henry is the definition of a family-oriented New Zealand athlete: a stable relationship, a strong focus on fatherhood, and a healthy balance between career and home life. There have been no major scandals or headline-making stories, he clearly prefers to be talked about as a bowler rather than as a celebrity.

To wrap up, here are a few interesting facts about the cricketer, along with his playing statistics:

• Matt’s nicknames are “Mr Nice Guy”, because off the field he is known as a very friendly, polite, and upbeat person, and “Man of Steel”, a reference to the back surgery he underwent in 2012;
• Henry is an avid golf fan; he enjoys the sport as a way to unwind and spend time outdoors.

Matt Henry is fairly low-key on social media: he is not especially active and mostly posts about cricket, family, sponsors, and the occasional glimpse into his life. His main accounts are Instagram: @mattyhenaz and X (formerly Twitter): @Matthenry014.