Stand-out cricketer in push for Scottish team

Tom Bruce

Former Wanganui Collegiate and representative cricketer Tom Bruce continues to push to make the Scottish team after another strong innings for the Development squad this week.

The 24-year-old Taranaki player Bruce, who qualifies for Scotland through his Edinburgh-born father, scored 70 from 81 balls before being run out in a three-day match for Scotland A against Ireland A in the town of Ayr.

It moves him a step closer to the full Scotland team to play Afghanistan in Edinburgh next month.

The national side is coached by former Black Cap Grant Bradburn, who was instrumental in bringing Bruce over during the New Zealand winter.

"Grant Bradburn is friendly with my batting coach from back home, Debu Banik, so, once we found out about my Scottish heritage, it was just a few emails back and forth and it's given myself an opportunity to come up and play, and push for Scotland honours," Bruce said when he arrived in Scotland last month.

"It's something I'd love the opportunity to do."

Interestingly, the eligibility rules of the International Cricket Council (ICC) allow that Bruce can play for an associate ICC member nation, but still be eligible to play for his native New Zealand, a full ICC member nation, with no stand-down period in between.

Going the other way - being a capped international player for a full member team looking to join an associate side - would require a four-year stand down.

Both New Zealand Cricket and the Central Districts Stags, who Bruce remains contracted to, encouraged him to take up the opportunity, and the batsman who has averaged 46 from 17 first-class games for CD could well be in line to go on the proposed New Zealand A tour of India in September.

After arriving in Scotland, Bruce scored 132 not out from 143 balls for the A side against England's Durham Academy in Uddingston.

Bruce boarded at Collegiate and captained the First XI, representing Wanganui in the 2009-10 summer.