A left-arm seamer and useful lower-order batsman, Ewen Thompson was rewarded with a national call-up at the age of 29 after serving Central Districts for nearly eight seasons.

He made his first-class debut in 2000-01 and immediately made an impact, finishing the joint second-highest wicket-taker (22) for his state. He uses his tall, lanky frame to get good bounce and his utility as a lower-order hitter, apart from his Twenty20 stats, would have helped push his inclusion for New Zealand's Twenty20 squad against West Indies in 2008-09.

He even averaged over 47 with the bat in the 2005-06 State Championship. His journey to the top hasn't been easy - he once suffered a fatigue-related virus - and his perseverance has been talked about in domestic circles. He ended the overall third-highest wicket-taker with 34 in the 2009-10 Plunket Shield but the strain on his body convinced him to quit first-class cricket after that season.

He's now focused on a career as a player-cum-coach for district side Northland.