Donovan Grobbelaar made his First-class debut at the age of 29 on the back of few imposing performances in club cricket. Playing for Auckland against Northern Districts, Grobbelaar scored a handy fifty on his debut along with two wickets to his name. Just like his brother-in-law Glenn Phillips who has represented New Zealand, even Grobbelaar was born in South Africa before his family moved to New Zealand.

With his all-round performances, Grobbelaar has been an unswerving contributor for Auckland Aces in the limited-over formats. Someone who can take wickets with the new ball and come up with decisive knocks while batting in the lower-middle order, Grobbelaar is a valuable all-rounder in that Auckland side. He also has a first-class century to his name but hasn't been a regular member in Auckland playing XI of late.

Grobbelaar played his last List-A game in February 2018 and last First-class match in October 2017. With the presence of other young members in the squad, the all-rounder has found it difficult to cement his place in the team.