Otago desperately needed to beat Auckland to revive its flagging hopes in the HRV Cup but watched any prospect of a victory disappear when rain set in with just over five overs remaining. The loss has left the 2008-09 champion's campaign teetering on the brink.
The Volts, who have lost all three of their matches, must beat Central Districts in Invercargill tomorrow to maintain any realistic chance of making the final.
The weather closed in at the wrong time for the home side. Having bowled poorly, Otago got back in the match through a fine innings from Craig Cumming.
The captain was looking in command and well set on 44. His side, on 116 for three, still needed 60 runs from 31 deliveries, a demanding run rate. But with seven wickets in hand Otago would have backed itself to reach the target. Instead, it has had to swallow an eight-run defeat.
The home side dished up a wide variety of deliveries ranging from pies to jaffas - but mostly the former. The only thing keeping the Volts in the match early was some inexplicable batting by the self-destructive Auckland side which resulted in the visiting side slumping to 81 for six.
No-one in the top order seemed prepared or capable of using that thing on the top of the shoulders - what is it called again? - and sticking around long enough to get the pace of the pitch and find their rhythm.
One thing Auckland had going for it was its run rate and that proved to be its saviour. It bought Munro some valuable time and the big left-hander went about rebuilding the innings.
Otago spinner Nick Beard did not make that job easy. He tortured Munro with a leg stump line with which the batsman was ill-equipped to deal. Tied up in knots, Munro made several clumsy and unsuccessful attempts to sweep the ball.
But he was one of the few Auckland batsmen prepared to occupy the crease before hitting out. His approach was vindicated with a late rush of boundaries. His maiden 50 came off 41 deliveries and featured four sixes and two fours.
Otago's afternoon in the field was perhaps best summed up by an eventful opening over.
England professional Darren Stevens was trusted with the new ball - a mixed opening over to say the least. Barely medium pace, he gifted Colin de Grandhomme a brace of legside half volleys and the Zimbabwean-born all-rounder dutifully dispatched them over the square leg boundary for six. Throw in a wide, a dropped catch and a lucky wicket to complete the over.
Having swatted 16 runs from four deliveries, de Grandhomme clubbed Stevens' last delivery - a wide long-hop he could have bludgeoned anywhere - to Hamish Rutherford at mid wicket.
It was awful stuff and set the tone. A pattern emerged where a rush of boundaries would be followed by a soft dismissal. Not a great advertisement for tomorrow's match.
Some of Otago's field placings came under attack from the commentary team. Neil Wagner bowled full and straight, but with no protection down the ground he got hammered - haemorrhaging 54 runs from four overs.
Beard and Nash did a good job putting the breaks on the run rate in the middle overs and picked up a wicket each, and Ian Butler took two for 27.
Canterbury remained the only unbeaten team in the HRV Cup after a tense six-run win over Central Districts yesterday, ensuring the host leaves Nelson empty-handed from its two-day venture to the South Island, NZPA reports.
Central Districts, eight-wicket loser to Wellington at Saxton Oval on Thursday, was able to use its knowledge of the slow, low wicket to restrict Canterbury to 147 for eight from its 20 overs, but the visitor proved a quick learner, too, as it was able to get the most out of the pitch to score its second successive win.
Central Districts was cruising to victory after a second-wicket stand of 111 between George Worker (59 from 54 balls) and Mathew Sinclair (44 from 44), but when they fell within three runs of each other, the hosts collapsed.
