Otago produces effort of season to win by innings
AFTER a season of mostly warm beer and cold pies, the Volts finally produced a performance worth celebrating.
Otago took 18 wickets in an extraordinary day at the University Oval yesterday to beat Auckland by an innings and 37 runs.
Seamer Jacob Duffy starred in the second innings with five for 29 to roll Auckland for 134 and seal the win with two days to spare.
The victory was set up earlier in the day, though, when the Volts took eight for 106 in the morning session to dismiss Auckland for 134 in its first innings.
Otago had a lead of 171 and decided to enforce the followon.
It turned out to be a good call with the bowling unit losing none of its earlier venom.
‘‘We always say that a fivewicket session can turn the game but to get eight sets the game up,’’ coach Rob Walter said.
‘‘In the last three weeks, our bowling unit has nailed its blueprint.’’
Duffy’s fivewicket haul was his third this season and seventh in total. But he had wonderful support from Michael Rae and Matt Bacon, who was on firstclass debut for Otago.
Rae bowled with tremendous energy and Bacon kept up a demanding line and length.
He picked up the wickets of the dangerous Glenn Phillips and Craig Cachopa with consecutive balls.
It has to be said Cachopa chased a wide delivery which he should have left. But Bacon certainly made the most of his opportunity and actually claimed five wickets in the day although across two innings.
The ball he bowled to Mark Chapman in the first innings is well worth a second look in the video scorecard.
He ripped in a beautiful inswinger to the lefthander which sent his leg stump cartwheeling.
Chapman topscored in the second innings with 41 on a rather sorrylooking scorecard.
Duffy mowed through the lower order late in the day. Ben Horne picked out a fielder and perished to a poor shot. Ben Lister spooned a drive to midoff. Lockie Ferguson got bowled and Matt McEwan found the fielder at deep midwicket.
It was a rapid demise and there were some cheap wickets but Duffy will not care one jot. He also played a crucial role with the bat on Sunday with a careerhigh knock of 46.
‘‘It was gamechanging and I have no doubt about that,’’ Walter said. ‘‘Our last three wickets contributed 130odd runs. That took us from 170 to 300ish.
‘‘In the context of the game that was everything. That was huge.
‘‘It was great to see the responsibility with which they batted.’’
Walter said there was consensus to enforce the followon ‘‘which is not the modern way’’.
‘‘Generally, batting sides go back in and take it out of reach with a lead of 400 and bowl again. But the deck does not necessarily change here so potentially we thought it was at its most difficult to bat on.
‘‘And the bowlers were fresh. We’d only bowled 44 overs.’’
At the Basin Reserve, Northern Districts wrapped up a win by an innings and 56 runs against Wellington.
Legspinner Ish Sodhi picked up 12 wickets in the match, including fivewicket bags in both innings.
Northern’s win has left the door open for Central Districts to overtake Wellington at the top of the standings.
It is in a dominant position against Canterbury at McLean Park. Canterbury was bowled out for 97 and is 58 for two needing another 205 runs to make Central bat again.
Blair Tickner starred with five for 23, a careerbest return.