10 Exciting facts about Colin Munro

Colin Munro has worked hard to reach the level he is at today. Munro is not an exceptionally gifted cricketer but worked his way upwards with the help of stellar performance in domestic cricket. A batting all-rounder by nature, Munro is known for his big hitting ability and great attitude towards the game. He had his own share of mixed luck, injuries and missed opportunities but, he kept enhancing his game to become a regular feature in the limited-overs format for New Zealand in the last couple of years.

1. Born on:

Colin Munro was born on 11th March 1987 in Natal, Durban, South Africa.

2. Growing years:

He spent his early years in South Africa and attended Maidstone Primary School in Tongaat. Later, he went to Glenwood boarding school in Durban.

3. Migrated to New Zealand:

Just like many South African families in the 1990’s, Munro’s father migrated to New Zealand with his family for better opportunities. He was aged 15 then. He attended the Pakuranga College and played in the school’s 1st XI cricket team.

4. Idolizes Jacques Kallis:

Colin Munro idolizes Jacques Kallis since childhood. He, like his idol, is a batting all-rounder who bowls seam up.

5. The less successful elder brother:

Brett Munro, Colin’s elder brother by three years, played Natal under-13 and under-15 cricket along with future South Africa Test captain Hashim Amla but didn’t find much success as a professional cricketer.

6. New Zealand U19:

Colin Munro represented New Zealand in the U19 World Cup held in Sri Lanka in 2006. However, it was a forgettable tournament for him.

7. Domestic debut:

Munro made his domestic debut in 2006 for Auckland. Since then, he has played 40 FC matches for them and has made 1335 runs at an average of around 30.

8. Breakthrough season:

Munro didn’t really make a big impact in domestic cricket till the 2011-12 season when he scored a century and three fifties for Auckland. The next season, he progressed further scoring three centuries in six innings, including a whirlwind unbeaten 269 off 252 balls against Wellington, which happens to be the second highest score for the Auckland Aces behind Bill Carson’s record score of 290 set back in 1936/37.

9. International debut:

His impressive domestic performances were rewarded with a Test cap in 2013. Munro made his international debut against his home country South Africa. He was included in the line-up for the 1st T20I of the series in his birthplace, Durban. Following the T20I series, he made his Test debut at St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth. However, it was not memorable for him at all as he was dismissed for a golden duck by Robin Peterson. He hasn’t made any further Test appearance. Munro debuted in the ODI format in the same series which was also a forgettable appearance. However, he got more chances and has played 12 ODIs until now.

10. Second fastest fifty in T20Is:

Colin Munro is an aggressive batsman by instinct and displayed his best performance in the second T20I at Eden Park against Sri Lanka. Munro recorded the second fastest T20I fifty of all time in 14 balls. His world-class knock included 7 sixes which is the most by any batsman in an innings of 50 or less. This is also the fastest fifty by a New Zealander in this format, beating the previous record set by Martin Guptill (50 from 19 balls) just 20 minutes before.

The knock that made the world notice Munro – Watch: Colin Munro hits the second fastest fifty in T20Is