Otago wicketkeeper-batsman Derek de Boorder is hoping his side has timed its run perfectly.
The Volts are just one win away from playing in their first one-day final in six years.
Standing in their way is Central Districts, which will host the fixture at its beloved, but postage stamp-sized, ground, Pukekura Park.
Central Districts set the pace during the round-robin phase although it has lost some momentum following losses to Wellington and then Auckland in the major semifinal on Saturday.
The Volts, meanwhile, slipped into the preliminary final on the back of a tense three-wicket win against Northern Districts in Queenstown.
Their form has been patchy at best and three of their four wins have come against the Knights.
Otago has also struggled in the 50-over format during the past two seasons, finishing fifth last summer and fifth in 2012-13.
''It is pretty new territory for us, going on the results from the last couple of years,'' de Boorder said.
''But I think we've worked out our game quite nicely and things are starting to click. We probably haven't played our best cricket yet.
''It is positive going into the finals knowing we have not quite been at our best but have still managed to get those wins.''
The sides have met once during the campaign.
Otago set Central Districts 256 to win at the University Oval last Sunday and was firmly on top having reduced the visitors to 40 for four.
But Central slipped out of the noose when Kruger van Wyk scoring a maiden one-day hundred, to help his side record a four-wicket win.
Lessons were learnt from that defeat, de Boorder said.
''We have to sort out how we are going to play their middle order, which seems to be their backbone. We also know from their last game their middle order got them through to a decent total but not quite over the line.
"They will obviously be hurting after the loss to Auckland and will be dangerous.
''They have a powerful batting order on a small ground at Pukekura Park. The key will be how we bowl to their middle order.''
Neil Wagner and Jacob Duffy bowled superbly in the four-wicket loss and will be called upon again to knock the top off Central's batting.
But how Otago solves the problem of who bowls during those middle stages is not something de Boorder has thought too much about.
He was replaced as captain by Aaron Redmond at the start of the season.
Initially it was a surprise, but it also came as a relief.
It has allowed him to focus on keeping wickets and developing his batting.
He has been tidy behind the stumps, with 12 catches, but runs have been harder to come by.
''Obviously I would have liked to have scored more runs. I was getting out lbw earlier on in the season so I've lowered my back-lift to try to give me a little bit of extra balance. Hopefully that proves its worth in the next couple of games.''
Pukekura Park has produced plenty of runs this season with Central scoring 405 at the venue during the opening round.
The small boundaries were awfully alluring but could be deceptive, de Boorder said.
''It is always a tough ground to defend ... but there can end up being a lot of guys caught on the rope trying to go for the shorter boundary and forgetting that they can actually play that ball to another part of the ground. You can get too carried away with the short boundaries.''
Otago has not made any changes to its squad but Central has made three forced changes.
Experienced opener Jamie How, who is retiring at the end of the one-day campaign, has work commitments.
He will be available for Sunday's final against Auckland at Colin Maiden Park if Central gets past Otago.
Otherwise, he has played his last game for Central. All-rounder Kieran Noema-Barnett has been ruled out with a foot injury.
Taranaki right-hander Tom Bruce will take his spot while David Meiring will open alongside the in-form George Worker.
Left-arm spinner Matthew Thomas replaces Stevie Smidt, who also has work commitments.
Ford Trophy
preliminary final
Otago v Central Districts
Today, New Plymouth
Pukekura Park, 11am
Squads
Otago: Sam Wells, Hamish Rutherford, Aaron Redmond (captain), Michael Bracewell, Jesse Ryder, Jimmy Neesham, Derek de Boorder, Mark Craig, Neil Wagner, Bradley Scott, Jacob Duffy, Josh Finnie, Craig Smith.
Central Districts: George Worker, David Meiring, Dean Robinson, Will Young, Kruger van Wyk (captain), Tom Bruce, Dane Cleaver, Doug Bracewell, Bevan Small, Marty Kain, Andrew Mathieson, Matthew Thomas.
Form guide
(last five games)
Otago: W, NR, L, NR, L
Central Districts: L, L, W, W, W
Key players
Otago
Jesse Ryder
The big fella is just starting to warm to his work following a layoff with a back injury. Ryder is all X-factor and if he has a good hour or so with the bat, the Volts will amass a healthy score.
Neil Wagner
One-day cricket is a game for batsmen but Wagner's role will be to chip out the top order. He has 13 wickets at an average of 15.61 and strikes about once every three overs. How he bowls in tandem with Jacob Duffy will set the tone for the Volts in the field.
Central Districts
George Worker
With Jamie How unavailable because of work commitments, Worker shapes as a crucial wicket at the top of the order. He is the tournament's leading scorer with 513 runs at a strike rate of close to 100%. He has also plundered three hundreds during the campaign, including a mammoth innings of 194.
Kruger van Wyk
The tenacious wicketkeeper-batsman rescued his side against Otago with a maiden undefeated century, proving once again you are never through the Central batting line-up when he is at one end. He is a man for a crisis and a prized wicket.
