Date of birth – 26 May 1996, Lincoln
Nottinghamshire First Class Debut – 14 June 2015 v Somerset (a)
In terms of debut performances there have been none in recent times to rival that of Matthew Carter. The tall off-spinner, who had impressed on the county’s pre-season tour of Barbados, was plucked from the second eleven ranks to feature in last June’s First Division clash against Somerset at Taunton.
Shrugging off the disappointment of making a duck, the Lincoln-born debutant transformed the contest by taking seven of the final eight Somerset first innings wickets to fall, finishing with figures of 16-2-56-7.
These were the best figures by a spin bowler on his first appearance since Leicestershire’s Jack Walsh took seven for 46 against Northants in 1938.
Second time around, it wasn’t quite as easy for the former Lincolnshire Minor Counties’ player as Somerset chased down an improbable victory target of 401 but his analysis of 33.4-4-139-3 nevertheless meant a 10-wicket haul on debut.
A foot injury, green-tinged pitches and the signing of Imran Tahir all counted against Matthew featuring for a second time but he still ended the season in a blaze of glory as he helped the Second Eleven clinch their championship as well as picking up 7-49 against Cambridgeshire on his return to the Lincolnshire ranks.
Despite elder brother Andy moving on to Derbyshire over the winter, there’s every likelihood that the Carter family name will still be seen in the Nottinghamshire ranks for some years to come with Matthew handed a new contract which will keep him at Trent Bridge for at least the next two seasons.
Supported by the Brian Johnston Memorial Trust through the BJMT Elite Spin Bowling Programme