New Zealand and Otago opening batter Hamish Rutherford has decided to retire from professional cricket, with his final game scheduled for next week. He will make his last appearance in Otago’s Super Smash game against Northern Districts in Dunedin. Rutherford concludes a 16-year career that began in 2008, during which he has accumulated 16,468 runs across various formats.
In his career, Rutherford represented New Zealand in 16 Test matches as part of his 130 first-class appearances, making a memorable 171 on his Test debut against England in 2013. He amassed 7863 runs in first-class cricket, maintaining an average of 35.26 and hitting 17 centuries. Though he played only four ODIs, Rutherford has an impressive record in 127 List A matches, scoring 4326 runs including 13 centuries. In T20 cricket, Rutherford has participated in 192 matches, including eight T20Is, scoring 4279 runs with an impressive strike rate of 141.50.
“It has been a privilege to play for Otago and be part of this iconic province,” Rutherford said in a statement.
“While playing for New Zealand was always the dream, I’m grateful for the opportunities cricket has given me and my family. I’ve loved every minute of it. I appreciate all the support I have had from family and friends, fellow players, coaches and supporters of the province,” he added.
Hamish Rutherford hailed as One of Otago's greats
Hamish Rutherford will conclude his career holding the record for the most T20 appearances for Otago, recently surpassing Neil Broom's previous record. By the time of his retirement, he will have played the third-highest number of matches for Otago in all formats, only behind Broom (348) and Derek de Boorder (292). Reflecting on Rutherford's career, Otago's Chief Executive praised his significant contributions to Otago cricket, emphasizing that he will be remembered as one of the greatest players in the team's history.
“Hamish will undoubtedly be considered one of Otago’s greats,” Otago Cricket chief executive Mike Coggan said. “I have seen him play innings that very few other cricketers are capable of. He has been an entertainer at the top of the innings, and he has my utmost respect as a player and person. His contribution to Otago Cricket has been immense.”
Rutherford Leaves Behind a Legacy
Among Hamish Rutherford's numerous standout performances for Otago, a particularly notable one highlighted by Mike Coggan was in 2020, when Rutherford blasted 155 runs from 100 balls against Central Districts. As one of the rare New Zealand cricketers to score a century on his Test debut, Rutherford is regarded as one of the all-time greats in domestic cricket. Otago Cricket plans to honor him following his final game on January 23.
Rutherford's last international appearance was in a T20 match against Sri Lanka in 2019. His final Test match for New Zealand was also against Sri Lanka, played at the Basin Reserve in 2015. Despite having played only four ODIs, where he didn't find much success, Rutherford has a notable Test record. In his 29 Test innings, he amassed 755 runs at an average of 26.96, including a century and a half-century.
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