Otago might be playing Canterbury in a bottom-of-the-table clash but there is still plenty to play for, skipper Craig Cumming says.
The Volts have not managed to win a State Championship match this summer, a statistic the team is anxious to change during the next four days in Christchurch.
The team has fared much better in the twenty/20 and one-day tournaments, winning the first and making the final of the latter.
"It is tough to compete in all three competitions, so to win one and make the final in another shows we've had a great season," Cumming said.
"We are not where we'd like to be in the State Championship.
''The reality is in the first four games before Christmas we were beaten once and had an opportunity to win the other three but it rained," he said, adding Otago was effectively out of the running from then on.
"There is still an opportunity for the guys to take more wickets and score more runs and finish the season on a positive note."
Personally, Cumming has one of his more consistent four-day seasons.
He is the competition's fifth-leading run-scorer with 611 runs at an average of 55.54, and he's had added three more 100s to his first-class tally of 14.
Twelve of those have been for Otago, which puts him fourth on the list of Otago's century-makers.
One more and he will equal Glenn Turner's achievement of 13.
Ken Rutherford is second on the list with 14 and Bert Sutcliffe on top with 17 100s.
"I'd like to score one more [100] and equal the Otago record for the season.
''That will put me equal with Glenn Turner on the all-time list.
''It is a nice little milestone to try and achieve at the end of a season."
Turner scored four centuries in back-to-back seasons for Otago in 1974-75 and 1975-76.
Otago will go into the match in Christchurch with an unchanged 12 from the side which drew with Wellington.
The Canterbury squad features two new names.
Left-arm spin bowler Martin Kain made his debut against Central Districts last week and will get another opportunity, and left-arm seamer Ryan McCone comes into the 12.
If he plays it will be his first-class debut.
Otago v Canterbury
Played in Christchurch, starting today
Otago: Craig Cumming (c), Aaron Redmond, Greg Todd, Neil Broom, Leighton Morgan, Shaun Haig, Nathan McCullum, Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner, Nick Beard, Mat Harvie, James McMillan.
Canterbury: Kruger van Wyk (c), Andrew Ellis, Hamish Bennett, Iain Robertson, Johann Myburgh, Leighton Burtt, Martin Kain, Michael Papps, Peter Fulton, Ryan McCone, Shanan Stewart, Todd Astle.
