Most games start to get foggy the moment they are over.
The Green Island left-armer has just been turning up and plugging away.
The club, though, has a good handle on the statistics and the former Volts seamer will bring up his 200th game for the Swamp Rats when they host North East Valley at Sunnyvale today.
Soper reckons he made his debut in "2009-ish’’, which means his career has spanned 14-ish seasons.
There have been a few lengthy breaks, though.
"It has taken a long time to get here,’’ Soper said.
"There have been a lot of injuries.’’
Shoulder, Achilles, hamstring and ankle are all on the list a various complaints he has endured.
The 31-year-old engineer also had a couple of stints with the Volts.
Soper played 11 first-class games for Otago from 2012 to 2016, claiming 21 wickets at 40.09. He was recalled in 2019 and played two list A games, both against Wellington.
The highlight was dismissing Jesse Ryder twice in a first-class game at the University Oval in January 2013. He also nabbed his only first-class five-wicket bag in that game.
"Injuries sort of finished that off,’’ he said.
"It takes a big effort just to get through a club season now, let alone doing anything more.
"But it was good to get a second crack at it [four] years ago. But then my Achilles injury, which I’ve has since about 2013, stopped that.’’
He has no regrets about not playing more first-class cricket. His injury setbacks saw him disappear off the radar.
But no-one forgot about him at Sunnyvale.
It has been that camaraderie which has kept him going through all the injuries.
"They’re just a good bunch of boys at the club,’’ he said.
"That has been a big part of it.’’
Green Island has been one of the more stable clubs in Dunedin, but the team has had a run of retirements in recent years. The likes of long-serving stalwarts Dion Lobb and Mark Joyce have hung up the pads, which has left Soper as the senior statesmen.
He has claimed 313 wickets and an average of 17.8, including seven five-wicket bags.
He is the fifth-highest wicket-taker for the Green Island premiers. His batting statistics are not too flash (557 runs at 8.7), but he can hang around and hold up an end.
The team will celebrate Soper’s milestone with a few beers and a barbecue at his house after the game.
He does not have fixed plans for next season.
"I’ll see how I pull up over the winter but you are a long time retired,’’ he said.
As for dismissing Ryder twice in the one match, that worked out nicely for Green Island.
When Ryder transferred to Otago in late 2013, he linked up with the Swamp Rats.
"That was a real good feeling and he said that was the reason he came to our club, so he didn’t have to face me.’’
That is one of the games Soper remembers well.
