Greatest moments in Otago sport - number 147

As major games go, a smash-bash against an invitational team as part of the Scarborough Festival is not exactly the Ashes.

Five triple century-makers, all from Otago, get together in this composite photo: back row, Ken Rutherford and Roger Blunt; front row, Mark Richardson, Bert Sutcliffe and Glenn Turner.

Rutherford had famously begun his test career for New Zealand with scores of 0, 0, 4, 0, 2, 1 and 5 in the West Indies in 1984-85. If he had ability, he wasn't staying at the crease long enough to convince anyone.

The 1986 tour of England rolled around and Rutherford was only risked in one of the three tests, scoring an unbeaten 24.

There was no pressure for the tour's final game against an XI assembled by former England all-rounder Brian Close - and Rutherford responded with an astonishing innings.

He belted 317 in a day, facing 245 balls as the New Zealanders declared their second innings on 519 for seven. The Close XI bowling attack was hardly fearsome but did include Indian left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi.

For Rutherford, it was the boost his career needed, and he didn't look back in the following decade.