ND onslaught at death key in Otago loss
ONE more wicket. That is all Otago needed.
One more wicket and its stunned opponent might have crumbled.
Instead, Northern Districts pair Anton Devcich and Scott Kuggeleijn bludgeoned 105 from 54 balls to help the visiting side rebound from 83 for five at the University of Otago Oval on Saturday.
Northern clubbed 75 runs from the last five overs to turn a modest tally into a daunting chase.
And with the Knights’ allstar bowling line up, their total of 191 for six always shaped as a winning score.
They went on to win by 36 runs.
Devcich was undefeated on 75 and Kuggeleijn sacrificed his wicket for 41 while trying to run a wide in the final over of the innings.
The Volts unhooked the brakes and braced themselves for a whiteknuckle ride in pursuit of the target.
Senior statesmen Neil Boom and Anaru Kitchen enjoyed the opportunity to bat without shackles.
It was sublime to watch a couple of alchemists attempt to transform hope into glory.
The pair put on 85 for the third wicket but Kitchen’s dismissal for 37 exposed the Volts’ shortened batting lineup.
Lefthander Nick Kelly injured his hand while fielding and was unable to bat.
All the pressure had shifted to Broom and he came unstuck on 47.
He topedged a sweep shot off the bowling of Mitchell Santner.
That was the wicket the Knights were chasing and his departure saw hope move to the despair end of the spectrum.
The Volts’ wickets were much too cheap thereafter.
Otago capitulated for 80 against Auckland last week and folded meekly again.
It crashed from 107 for two to 155 for nine.
Experienced Black Caps seamer Tim Southee nabbed the key wicket of opener Hamish Rutherford early on and finished with three wickets.
But Volts tailender Michael Rae crunched Southee’s final over for three consecutive boundaries to dent his economy.
Otago coach Rob Walter said the match was lost during the fiveover onslaught.
‘‘We lost it in the death — it is that simple,’’ he said.
‘‘I thought 190 was not too far above par but a little bit too much, given we had one batter down — 170 would have been a far more realistic chase.’’
Kelly split his finger while trying to stop a shot.
He had suffered a laceration and dislocation but it was not fractured, which was good news.
Yesterday, Wellington confirmed its top placing with a 39run win over Auckland in Auckland.
The Volts recorded just two wins in 10 Super Smash games.
They made the playoffs last season but will now shift their focus to the oneday tournament in which the side is wellplaced.
It will resume the Ford Trophy with a match against Canterbury in Queenstown on February 19.