Canterbury strengthened its claim to a spot in the one-day playoffs with a tenacious 54-run win against Otago in Queenstown yesterday.
The visitors clawed their way to a reasonable tally of 271.
But the game looked lost while Neil Broom and Anaru Kitchen were batting.
The pair added 135 for the third wicket. But the trouble started when Kitchen holed out on 69, and the situation deteriorated further when Broom lost his balance on 83 and got an edge.
Otago’s lower order did not have the muscle nor the finesse to finish.
The home collapsed to be all out for 217.
The sides play again tomorrow at the same venue, and the Volts will be the more desperate of the two.
They made the final last season but, on current form, will not be returning this summer.
Otago made a bright start to the game, though.
Jacob Duffy got a wider delivery to bounce a bit more and nicked out Ken McClure for a five-ball duck in the third over.
Fellow opener Chad Bowes (11) swivelled a pull shot to the fielder at square leg shortly after.
But Cole McConchie (31) and Black Cap Tom Latham (63) put on 77 for the third wicket.
The middle order of Leo Carter (29), Cam Fletcher (45), Theo van Woerkom (31) and Sean Davey (22) all got starts but were unable to go on.
Duffy accounted for three of them and finished with four for 53 from his 10 overs.
Kitchen grabbed two wickets in the 50th over to help dismiss the visitors for a very getable tally.
The left-arm spinner (three for 31) had earlier picked up the key wicket of Latham.
The Volts’ battling line-up has lacked the edge it had last season and quickly found itself under pressure.
Nick Kelly (1) sliced a cut shot to Bowes and Hamish Rutherford (4) sent a catch down to third man.
Black Cap Matt Henry captured both wickets during an impressive opening six-over spell.
Otago wrestled back control of the game through its senior statesmen Broom and Kitchen.
The experienced right-handers were able to stitch the innings back together with a measured partnership.
Both players eased their way through to half centuries and put the Volts in a commanding position.
But Kitchen swung a pull shot to Carter, and that restored some hope for the visitors.
The Volts arguably went into the game a batsman light. They opted to promote all-rounder Michael Rippon to No 5, and he arrived at the crease with his side in a healthy spot.
But Canterbury captain McConchie sensed an opening and brought back his strike bowlers.
Henry went to work on Rippon, while Will Williams toiled from the other end, desperately searching for another quick wicket to put some nerves into the Otago camp.
Williams got his man. He trapped Rippon in front for eight, but Broom held the key to victory for Otago.
While he remained in the middle, the Volts were at the controls.
But with the run rate creeping up and Dale Phillips holing out, Broom made a mistake.
Van Woerkom had made a double strike and basically won the game with 10 overs remaining.
In the other matches, Auckland got up to beat Central Districts in a high-scoring game at Eden Park Outer Oval.
Debutant Coles Briggs scored 101 and combined in an Auckland record first-wicket stand of 226 with Sean Solia (121).
Central had smashed 309 for seven, but the home side nevertheless cantered to a six-wicket win thanks to the mammoth partnership.
At the Basin Reserve, Fraser Colson, who played for Taieri in 2018-19, edged Wellington (207 for nine) to a tense one-wicket win against Northern Districts (205) with an undefeated 80.
