For the forthcoming domestic season, Lancashire has acquired New Zealand batsman Tom Bruce, their first overseas acquisition since bringing in legendary Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Like Lyon, Bruce, 32, is anticipated to be available for all three formats for the whole of the season. From 2017 to 2020, the Te Kuiti native played in 17 Twenty20 Internationals for New Zealand. Along with two half-centuries, he amassed 279 runs at an average of 18.60 and a strike rate of 122.37.
In first-class cricket, he boasts an outstanding record. Bruce has scored 5334 runs at an average of 49.85 after 75 games played, with a career-high score of 208 not out. Tom Bruce enjoys playing aggressively, which is highlighted by his elite strike rate of 65.91. In red-ball cricket, the right-handed batsman has amassed 33 half-centuries and ten centuries. Despite playing 75 matches, his meager List A average of 31.21 does not adequately reflect his talent. In September 2023, he guided New Zealand A to victory over Australia in two four-day matches.
For the first time in seven seasons, Lancashire will be without South African wicketkeeper-batter Dane Vilas, so Bruce might be a useful addition. Bruce is expected to be available for the 2024 T20 World Cup, according to Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, and this was considered when Bruce signed.
“Tom’s availability for the entire 2024 season was a major factor in Dale Benkenstein and my decision to go after foreign recruits this year. Chilton was cited by ESPNcricinfo as stating, “This will allow Tom to settle in, become part of the squad, and create consistency and stability in our team selections throughout the summer.”
Tom is an extremely skilled cricket player, and we believe his skill set will complement our team well. With an incredible record in the Plunkett Shield and Super Smash competitions, as well as for New Zealand A, he has had an incredibly successful few years with the bat in domestic cricket in New Zealand. He is very almost selected for the entire international team. The availability of international choices is limited because this year’s Vitality Blast coincides with the ICC T20 World Cup in June and July. Tom is a great addition to the team because of his caliber, experience, and availability for the entire season,” he continued.
Bruce, according to Chilton, will help the middle order in the County Championship and his hitting ability will help the team in white-ball competitions.
“We believe that Tom will offer us a lot of options as he strengthens our middle order in the County Championship whilst his powerful hitting will give our batting line-up a new dimension towards the backend of an innings in the Vitality Blast and Metro Bank One Day Cup,” Chilton said.
Being a member of Lancashire is an incredible experience: Tom Bruce
Bruce talked about how excited he was at the idea of playing a whole season with Lancashire. He stated that he is optimistic about a strong performance in the upcoming season, having recently spoken with Dale Benkenstein, the head coach, and Chilton.
“I am quite excited about this chance, and I can’t wait to travel to England in a few months. The chance to play a complete county cricket season with a team like Lancashire is an incredible experience, and after I learned about the interest, having Emirates Old Trafford as my home stadium was even more alluring. After talking with Mark Chilton and Dale Benkenstein, I think I have a lot to offer Lancashire, and I’m particularly enthusiastic about what we can do as a team with such a gifted collection of players in the 2024 campaign,” Bruce stated.
In 2023, Lancashire placed midtable in Division One of the County Championship. They had finished in second place in the previous two rounds. Lancashire was eliminated in the quarterfinals of both white-ball competitions. During the off-season, Dale Benkenstein took over as head coach in lieu of Glenn Chapple. Prior to making the move, the latter was Gloucestershire’s head coach.
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