Paul McEwan (cricketer)

Paul McEwan

MNZM
	McEwan in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Paul Ernest McEwan
Born	19 December 1953 (age 70); Christchurch, New Zealand
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
Relations	Matt McEwan (son)
International information
National side	New Zealand (1980–1985);
Test debut (cap 146)	29 February 1980 v West Indies
Last Test	10 December 1984 v Pakistan
ODI debut (cap 35)	6 February 1980 v West Indies
Last ODI	5 March 1985 v India
Domestic team information
1976–77 to 1990–91	Canterbury
Career statistics
	Source: Cricinfo, 4 February 2017

Paul Ernest McEwan

MNZM (born 19 December 1953 in Christchurch) is a former New Zealand Test and ODI cricketer who played in four Tests and seventeen ODIs from 1980 to 1985. He played domestic cricket for Canterbury

from 1977 to 1991. In the early 1990s, he set up the Canterbury Neonatal Unit Trust.

Career

McEwan received his secondary education at St Andrew's College, Christchurch, Graham Dowling's old school, and went on to pass Dowling's run-scoring record for Canterbury.^[1] He played for Old Collegians in Christchurch and Ian Cromb influenced him as a young club player. He made his first-class debut for Canterbury during the 1976–77 season.^[1]

McEwan was a hard-hitting, orthodox right-hand batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler.

Shell Trophy for Canterbury in the last game of the 1983–84 season.^[2] In 1984–85 McEwan was brought in as a late replacement for the Young New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe under the captaincy of Jeff Crowe.^[1] He was the New Zealand team's highest scorer, with 364 runs at 91.00 in the four games, after a first-ball duck in the first.^[3]

McEwan made his Test debut in the 1979–80 series against the West Indies and toured Australia in 1980–81 and Pakistan in 1984–85. However, he was unable to convert his domestic form into success at international level.^[4]

McEwan had his Benefit Year for Canterbury (the first given by the province) during the 1988–89 season.

Northern Districts

. Coming in fifteen minutes after lunch, he was 99 not out at tea, and totalled 103 off 108 balls.

While McEwan did not achieve success on the international stage, he ended his career as Canterbury's greatest run scorer (5940) with the most centuries (11).^[4] He was also the first player to make 100 appearances for Canterbury, ending his career with 103 games.^[4] In total, McEwan scored 6677 runs from 115 matches at 34.95 with twelve centuries and forty-three fifties. He had a highest score of 155 and he took 82 catches. With his bowling McEwan took 29 wickets at 38.79 with best figures of 3–25. His first class one-day career had brought 1643 runs from 77 matches at 23.81 with one century and eight fifties. McEwan had a highest score of 106 and he took 30 catches. He took 27 wickets at 36.44 with best bowling figures of 3–31.

McEwan told The Press, "Every ball I faced I endeavoured to score runs. There is so much dead cricket, so many balls just patted back. Garfield Sobers said the best line of defence is attack and I was always looking to dominate a game. I wanted to be on top of the game."^[6]

Family

McEwan's first son died two weeks after his birth following heart surgery. McEwan then had twin boys who also had a heart condition and spent 95 days on a ventilator. The McEwans set up the Neonatal Unit Trust Fund in response.

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to neonatal care.^[8]