His cut shot and drive were not bad either.
But after 15 years at the top level the veteran left-hander is calling it quits.
His hips are no good, but that is not the main reason he has decided to retire mid-season.
The 34-year-old opener was advised he was unlikely to be selected in the remaining list A and first class games this season.
For once he was not up to the fight to earn his place back.
He feels he has nothing left to prove, so today’s T20 against Central Districts at the University Oval and Tuesday’s game against Northern Districts, if selected, will be his last two games before he moves into project management and life after cricket.
"I was made aware that I was probably not going to be selected for the other formats, so that gets you thinking," he said.
"I think this was always going to be my last year, but you find that out and you go back to your room and wonder if you can find anything more to prove anyone wrong and find a little bit more left to push hard.
"But I came up blank. I think I’ve given all I can."
Rutherford scored more than 16,000 runs during a career which spanned three different decades.
He followed in his father Ken Rutherford’s footsteps and represented his country.
His test debut in 2013 was one of those "wow" moments cricket delivers every now and then.
He flayed 171 at the University Oval, and seemed destined to have a very bright future at the top level.
But his form dipped and he lost his spot in the national side.
There were plenty of other highlights, though.
He played for five county sides and carved out an impressive career for Otago.
Rutherford scored 21 centuries across three formats for the Volts.
His list A record for the province is particularly good.
In 77 one-dayers he scored 2552 runs at an average of 38.08.
And his list A career strike of 94.74 singled him out as a player of rare ability.
Rutherford always possessed natural timing which made clipping the ball to the point boundary as easy as pie.
But success did not come easy.
His first-class debut in November 2008 was a reality check.
He got bowled for a golden duck by no less than Trent Boult, who was on debut for Northern Districts.
The surname Rutherford carried a lot of expectation, but was no guarantee of success.
He was unable to deliver on his obvious promise and got pigeonholed as a limited-overs player.
His professional cricket career hid the skids.
"I feel like my career has been a bit of a roller-coaster.
"It certainly hasn’t come easy. I’ve had some tough times along the way, whether that was with injury or battling with myself and my mind.
"But 15-16 years with Otago is something I’m really proud of.
"Obviously the Rutherfords have a rich history here and I’m really proud I’ve been able to add to that.
"But I’ve been very fortunate. The dream is to play for New Zealand, and I’m happy I had a good crack at that.
"Did it go as well as I would have liked? No. But I would have loved another go near the back end of my 20s and early 30s, when I really got the grasp of what I was about."
It took a lot resilience to bounce back from the wilderness years.
His opportunity came at the expense of Otago opener Aaron Redmond, who had an absolutely dreadful season in 2011-12.
Rutherford replaced him and absolutely nailed his opportunity. He scored 607 runs in a period dubbed "Mad March".
He scored back-to-back centuries in his return match at the start of the month and finished off the season in grand style with a ground record 239 at the University Oval.
He batted for more than eight hours and became the third member of his family to score a first-class double hundred for Otago, joining Ian (uncle) and Ken.
"I felt invincible around that period.
"But I was in the wilderness, and you have moments when you wonder if it is ever going to be a career for you.
"A year later I had a top-10 New Zealand contract and I had an Essex deal, and it was just all crazy how it all happened."
Rutherford had other major setbacks. He had his share of injuries and some serious concussions.
He had to battle back each time. He also had to find a method against short-pitched bowling and was able to do that.
"I think I’ve shown a lot of resilience throughout my career. I have not been afraid to sit back and hit reset.
"I played international cricket with a cover drive and cut.
"But now if you look at my runs in this campaign they have probably all been through the leg side, so you do develop and you do change."
Rutherford has played with a lot of characters over the years.
The likes of Redmond and Neil Broom were always good for a laugh, and he formed a close relationship with Mark Craig.
Any regrets?
Some. Maybe he had the odd beer too many, he suggested.
"But sitting around and having a quiet beer and talking cricket or life ... is the one thing I will miss and that is the one thing I just loved about the sport, so I can’t really regret that."
Rutherford has a career in project management planned, and he can now finally deliver on that family holiday he has promised his partner Sophie Peat and children Gracie (5) and Oscar (nearly 2).
By the numbers - Hamish Rutherford
Tests: 16 games, 755 runs at 26.96, high score 171
ODIs: 4 games, 15 runs at 3.75, high score 11
T20Is: 8 games, 151 runs at 21.57, high score 62
First class: 130 games, 7863 runs at 35.26, 17 centuries, high score 239
List A: 127 games, 4326 runs at 37.61, 13 centuries, high score 155
T20s: 192 games, 4279 runs at 23.90, 2 centuries, high score 106
