Chances are Otago will have to score a ton of runs to beat Central Districts in a one-dayer at the University Oval tomorrow.
Central Districts is perhaps surprisingly, the form team in the competition. It leads the tournament with five wins from six games and has played with considerable style.
It has posted 400-plus on two occasions this season, albeit on the postage-size venues of Pukekura Park and Aorangi Oval, and its top order is in rich form.
George Worker (500 runs at 83.33), Will Young (326 at 81.50) and Jamie How (306 at 51) are the competition's leading scorers.
How boasts a strike rate of 171.91. That is worth repeating: 171.91.
Worker has plundered three hundreds including an incredible innings of 194, while Young has also been in rather magnificent touch.
Seamer Andrew Mathieson is the joint leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets and is another having a wonderful tournament.
Central has certainly made an impression, with Otago captain Aaron Redmond well aware how well its batting line-up, in particular, has been playing.
''They are the form team and they are on a bit of a roll,'' Redmond said.
''The top order is making big runs. Howzer [Jamie How] is obviously retiring at the end of the competition and it looks like he is playing with freedom.
"They've also got Georgie [George] Worker and he is really making big runs in the competition.
''They are pretty well balanced the whole way through and that has showed throughout the competition.
''It is going to be a tough ask but that is the challenge. If we qualify for the semifinals then these are the type of sides we've got to play.
''If you want to win the competition then you have to beat them. It will be quite a good measure to see where we are at in relation to the top performers.''
The Volts are in third place with 15 points and may not have to win another game to qualify for the playoffs.
But the team is focused on winning its two remaining round-robin games and hopefully finishing in the top two.
That might be a stretch with Central (22pts) and Auckland (20pts) enjoying a healthy buffer at the top of the table.
The washed-out match against Canterbury proved costly in that sense but a win tomorrow will see the Volts confirm a playoff spot.
While Central has struck some excellent form, the Volts are still searching for that perfect performance.
''I don't think we've really played the perfect game. Apart from in Alexandra where we had that good performance, we've just done enough to win games or been beaten quite badly. We are still searching to put that perfect performance in.''
Central Districts has named an unchanged side from the team which beat Northern Districts by 159 runs, while Otago will name its squad today.
Unless Jimmy Neesham has recovered from his back injury, there is unlikely to be any changes from the 12 which fronted for the washed-out game against Canterbury in Dunedin on Wednesday.
Speaking of that match, Redmond said there were no hard feelings towards Neil Broom, whose controversial catch accounted for Michael Bracewell.
Photographs published in the Otago Daily Times clearly show Broom came into contact with the rope while effecting the catch and Bracewell should have been awarded six rather than a seat in the dressing room.
''Sometimes things like that happen. It had no real major impact.
''I know Broomy's character, I played with him for a long time. He is a great man and he felt like he caught it. It is just that the picture showed that he didn't. We've moved on.''
Still, Broom can expect some friendly banter when the sides meet in Rangiora next week.
''It wouldn't be a bad photo to put up on the wall - it is not a bad photo really.''
