Top form has Bruce being touted as 'kilted kiwi'

Tom Bruce

The former Wanganui Collegiate 1st XI captain and Central Districts top batsman Tom Bruce will be pushing for full Scottish international honours after making an unbeaten century near Glasgow this week.

Bruce, who qualifies for Scotland through his Edinburgh-born father, headed to the Northern Hemisphere for summer and wasted no time in scoring 132 not out for the Scottish Development XI in a two-day game against Durham Academy, an English team, in the town of Uddingston.

His innings' carried the Scots total of 297 and saw the 24-year-old put himself firmly in contention for the full Scotland team later in the season.

Bruce hit 14 boundaries and four sixes in his 143-ball knock. The next highest scores were two batsmen reaching 30.

The Development team then had Durham in trouble at 23/4 at the close of the day's play.

The CricketEurope website quoted Cricket Scotland head of performance Andy Tennant as being very impressed.

"It would be fair to say that was a good start for Tom," Tennant said.

"He was everything we hoped he would be, given his career record, and is obviously an exciting find for us.

"I'm delighted for him to have made such an immediate impact and he has also fitted in really well with the group. There's no doubt he has lots to offer."

Boarding at school, Bruce played for Collegiate and represented Wanganui in the 2009-10 summer.

He then returned to Taranaki and became a fixture in the Central Districts team, averaging 46 in first class games.

The young man is looking to become a cricket version of a 'Kilted Kiwi' - the nickname given to New Zealand-born rugby players who earned international honours for Scotland through a Scottish parent or grandparent.