In next week’s Super Smash clash against Northern Districts in Dunedin, New Zealand and Otago opening batter Hamish Rutherford will play the final match of his professional career, which started in 2008. He has amassed a total of 16,468 runs across various formats. Rutherford played 16 Tests and 130 first-class games, with a standout performance being his 171-run debut against England in 2013. In addition, he played 127 List A games, scoring 4326 runs with 13 centuries, and 192 T20s for 4279 runs at a strike rate of 141.50. Despite only playing four ODIs, Rutherford made a significant impact in the matches he participated in.
In a statement, Rutherford expressed his gratitude for the opportunities cricket has given him and his family. He acknowledged the support he received from his loved ones, fellow players, coaches, and supporters of the province. Rutherford will retire as the player with the most T20 appearances for Otago, breaking Neil Broom’s record. He will also retire as the player with the third most matches for Otago across formats, behind Broom and Derek de Boorder.
Otago Cricket chief executive Mike Coggan hailed Rutherford as one of Otago’s greats and praised his unique combination of patience and aggression as an opener. Coggan also highlighted Rutherford’s significant contributions to Otago Cricket and commended his skills as a player and thinker of the game. Rutherford will be honored by Otago Cricket on January 23 in recognition of his last game.