BROOM HAS UNFINISHED BUSINESS
FOR a while it seemed Neil Broom had finished just short of Otago cricket’s most elusive century.
When he retired from Plunket Shield cricket prior to last season, he was left stuck on 98 matches for province.
But the year away had left him feeling ‘‘a bit empty’’.
He felt as if he could add value to the team.
Last week he returned to play his 99th match, equalling Derek de Boorder’s total.
Today he will bring up 100 at the University Oval against Auckland.
It is a mark only Warren Lees has reached, the wicketkeeper playing a record 108 fourday matches for the side.
Broom (35) insisted the century was not a reason for coming back.
He did admit the rarity of the milestone did hold significance for him, though.
‘‘It means a lot. One hundred fourdayers — there’s only one guy that’s gone past that feat,’’ he said.
‘‘It doesn’t happen every day so I’m looking forward to it, although it’s just another game, isn’t it?’’
It has been an illustrious career for Broom, who moved south from Canterbury in 2005.
His 6064 runs, at an average of 41.53, are second to only Craig Cumming’s 6589 for Otago.
In that he has scored 15 centuries, including a high score of 203 not out, making him one of only 10 Otago players to reach a double century.
On that day, against Northern Districts in Queenstown in 2010, he and brother Darren put on 252 after coming together at 33 for four.
He played two tests for New Zealand against South Africa in 2017 and was perhaps unlucky not to have had more of an opportunity.
But there was one major
accomplishment that has evaded him.
He is yet to win a Plunket Shield — something Otago as a whole has not done since 198788.
That was a driver to keep going.
‘‘We’ve been trying to do it for years, but for some reason we haven’t been able to get there.
‘‘But it would be pretty special. It’d be a hell of a celebration if we won the Plunket Shield.
‘‘I think there’d be a few explayers happy if we won it as well.
‘‘It’s a tough thing to win, that’s why it is hard to win. There’s so much cricket involved.
‘‘But it’d be brilliant, wouldn’t it?’’
The side has had success with the white ball through Broom’s career and he was not quite sure why that had not translated to the redball game.
Results have been tough in recent years, although he was optimistic about the future.
There was a core group of players that he thought could lift the province in the next five years.
For now,his focus is getting back to batting at home, which he could not wait to do.
Hamish Rutherford will also bring up a milestone, playing his 100th firstclass match.
Alongside playing for Otago and New Zealand, Rutherford has also had several stints in England.
❛ It doesn’t happen
every day so I’m looking forward to it,
although it’s just another game, isn’t it?