Cricket: Pace bowling duo bright spot for Otago

If Otago can take any positives from its humbling 304-run loss to Canterbury at Hagley Oval yesterday, it is the form of young pace bowlers Jack Hunter and Michael Rae.

The Volts resumed on 213 for six, trailing by 340 runs. Rain interrupted the match briefly but Otago succumbed quickly upon resumption.

Sean Eathorne was unable to return to the batting crease so the innings closed with Otago 248 for nine.

Eathorne was struck by a bouncer on Monday and has fractured a bone in his shoulder.

Canterbury's Logan van Beek had a mighty match.

He scored his maiden century and picked up a career-best six for 57.

His hundred was scored when Canterbury was under enormous pressure and he combined in a Canterbury-record 10th-wicket partnership against Otago with Will Williams.

The pair put on 104.

''You have to give him a lot of credit for the way he batted,'' Volts coach Nathan King said.

''He scored that 100 when they were under the pump. And his bowling, well, while we performed poorly with the bat in the first innings, we didn't throw our wickets away in the second innings ... and the fact he got six of them shows how well he bowled.''

Otago actually started the match well. Hunter (20) took two wickets in the first over of the game and bowled well in tandem with Rae (20).

But Otago was dismissed for a paltry 91 in reply to Canterbury's first innings total of 293.

''Our backs were up against the wall from then on,'' King said.

''We've had a lot of success against Canterbury recently but we also know they are a quality team and have won the competition for the past two years. We've got to learn from the way they go about things.

''Jack Hunter and Michael Rae bowled the best I've seen from them at this level and were rewarded with wickets in the first innings. That was really exciting, particularly for someone like Jack who is not a contracted player and has sort of come out of nowhere, really.''

Hunter took four for 47 and Rae claimed three for 54. Both went wicketless in the second innings, though.

Otago's depth was sorely tested with 16 players unavailable for the match.

The Volts will be boosted for the twenty20 competition with the return of New Zealand A players Neil Wagner, Jacob Duffy, Michael Bracewell and Derek de Boorder.

Nathan McCullum also returns from a break and will captain the side.

Otago's opening game is against Central Districts on November 5.

Ironically, the return of Duffy and Wagner means Hunter and Rae will struggle to make the line-up.

''It will be fantastic to have those guys back. The other teams out there get a few guys back as well, so it does not necessarily mean it is going to be any easier. We are still going to have to play good cricket.''

 

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