Matt McEwan made headlines in March, 2018, when he became one of two players to secure a hat-trick on the same day, he achieved the feat in the 26th and 28th overs of the Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts. Having made his first-class debut for Canterbury during the 2011-12 season, McEwan, son of former New Zealand Test cricketer, Paul McEwan, quickly established himself as their lead pacer with an ability to be useful with the bat.

McEwan enjoyed a successful 2017-18 season after he left Canterbury to Auckland. The left-arm pacer finished the season as Auckland's highest wicket-taker, with 36 wickets from 9 games. This enabled him to earn a contract with Auckland for the 2018-19 season.