A late wicket has left Otago with a steeper hurdle to clear today.
The Volts are 20 for one and chasing a victory target of 389.
Wellington put the hammer down in the final session at the Basin Reserve to reach 316 for eight declared.
Tim Robinson led the way with a hard-hit 85 and opener Sam Mycock (53) and Nick Greenwood (49) made chunky contributions.
And Tom Blundell (33) and Jessie Tashkoff (23) went on the hunt for boundaries as the declaration target loomed large.
The demise of opener Jacob Cumming for three was a big setback for the visitors.
But they have plenty of talent in the lineup and, if they can preserve wickets early, they might be able to get into a position to launch.
Yesterday started poorly, though.
Otago let go of the opportunity to chip away at Wellington’s lead.
They resumed on 265 for seven in reply to Wellington’s first innings tally of 355.
Thorn Parkes was on 86 and chasing a second first-class century and Andrew Hazeldine had one run to his name.
The left-arm quick was not able to add to his account.
He jabbed at a bumper from Michael Snedden and got a faint edge through to the keeper second over of the day.
Matt Bacon was unable to make much of a contribution either.
He sliced a catch to backward point and departed for four.
Four balls later there was further calamity.
Parkes cut the ball into the off side and set off for a single.
Tashkoff’s throw knocked the off stump out of the ground and easily beat the loping figure of No 11 Jarrod McKay.
Otago had added just 18 runs and Parkes was left stranded on 97 not out.
Wellington had secured a useful 72-run first-innings lead.
Muhammad Abbas took three for 22 — a career-best for the 21-year-old all-rounder.
Snedden (three for 72) got a couple of key breakthroughs too.
The home team set about building on their lead.
Openers Greenwood and Mycock put on 74 for the first wicket at a decent clip.
They had doubled the lead by the time Greenwood was caught down the leg side by Max Chu.
Robinson lifted the tempo with his stand and deliver style.
He stroked his sixth first-class half-century from 63 balls.
He got a top edge over the keeper to bring up the milestone but there was some clean hitting in the knock as well.
When he departed, Blundell strolled out and got stuck in.
He shimmied down the wicket and lofted Dean Foxcroft for a brace of sixes.
The Black Caps test keeper pulled out the reverse sweep to bag a boundary as well.
The over went for 18 runs.
He hammered a catch back at Dale Phillips, though. That put a full stop on a sparkling cameo.
They declared shortly after, setting Otago a challenging target.
Auckland trails Central Districts’ massive first innings tally by 266 runs with 10 second innings wickets in hand at stumps on day three at Eden Park Outer Oval. Bevon Jacobs (157) scored a maiden first-class century.
In Hamilton, Canterbury require another 214 runs to beat Northern Districts with a day to play. They are 223 for four.
WELLINGTON
First innings 355
OTAGO
J Cumming c Blundell b Abbas 29
D Phillips b Snedden 36
L Carter lbw Abbas 24
D Foxcroft c Blundell b Abbas 6
T Parkes not out 97
L Johnson c Robinson b Snedden 17
M Chu c Mycock b Dudding 16
T Muller c Mycock b Younghusband 24
A Hazeldine c Blundell b Snedden 1
M Bacon c Abbas b van Beek 4
J McKay run out (Tashkoff) 1
Extras (b 9, lb 3, w 3, nb 13)28
Total (all out, 87 overs)283
Fall: 1-62, 2-88, 3-99, 4-100, 5-162, 6-191, 7-261, 8-267, 9-282, 10-283.
Bowlers: L van Beek 21-4-60-1 (2w), L Dudding 17-2-58-1, M Snedden 18-2-72-3 (1w, 10nb), M Abbas 8-1-22-3, P Younghusband 20-6-48-1, N Greenwood 3-0-11-0 (3nb).
WELLINGTON
S Mycock c Chu b Hazeldine 53
N Greenwood c Chu b McKay 49
T Robinson lbw Foxcroft 85
N Kelly st Chu b Phillips 22
M Abbas c Chu b Hazeldine 21
T Blundell c&b Phillips 33
J Tashkoff c Muller b McKay 23
L van Beek not out 2
P Younghusband c Cumming b Bacon 7
M Snedden not out 5
Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 12, nb 1)16
Total (for 8 wickets dec, 75 overs)316
Fall: 1-74, 2-171, 3-220, 4-236, 5-269, 6-283, 7-301, 8-311.
Bowling: A Hazeldine 14-1-48-2 (3w), M Bacon 12-2-46-1 (1w), J McKay 14-0-64-2 (3w), T Muller 13-1-44-0 (1w, 1nb), D Foxcroft 14-0-64-1, D Phillips 8-0-47-2.
OTAGO
J Cumming b Dudding 3
D Phillips not out 7
M Bacon not out 10
Extras0
Total (for 1 wicket, 9 overs)20
Fall: 1-9.
Bowling: L van Beek 5-2-14-0, L Dudding 4-1-6-1.
