Four competition points for Otago.
Dean Foxcroft got all the hugs, high fives and back slaps and boy, did he earn it.
The 24-year-old South African-born player took a career-best five for 11, top-scored with the bat and grabbed two catches to set up the 37-run Super Smash win against Auckland at Sir John Davies Oval yesterday.
His back story adds even more colour to the performance.
He missed two years of cricket when he was unable to return to New Zealand due to border restrictions in place for Covid-19.
"It has been a day I’ve dreamed about for a long time now," he said shortly after picking up the man-of-the-match award.
"It means a lot [in that context]. For me every game is enjoyable and something to smile about. And hopefully I can put in some good performances as well."
Foxcroft treated the crowd of just under 900 to a real show.
He made 44 with the bat to help drag the Volts through to a decent tally of 165 for eight.
The Aces left their chase too late and then crumbled at the death.
The win was made even more impressive when you consider the Volts were operating without leading seamer Jacob Duffy, who picked up a bug.
Dale Phillips was also missing with illness.
Hamish Rutherford got the Volts’ innings off to a rapid start. The captain cracked three fours off Ben Lister and dispatched spinner Louis Delport for a couple of sixes.
Thorn Parkes joined the fun. He slapped Sean Solia to wide mid-wicket for a boundary and swung fast bowler Lockie Ferguson away as well which took moxie.
Ferguson struck back, though. He nicked off Rutherford for 26 and caught Parkes on the boundary.
Otago’s powerplay had suddenly soured.
Josh Finnie pulled out his trademark sweep shot and slogged a delivery from wrist spinner Adithya Ashok high on the embankment.
But his promising innings of 16 was cut short when he popped a low full toss back to the bowler Solia.
Finnie’s departure was more head wind for Otago.
A lot hinged on Foxcroft.
His touch emerged in the 13th over. He helped take 12 off it and then clipped Solia for a couple of boundaries in the next.
But he got done by a yorker from Delport. The left-arm spinner snuck it under the bat.
Michael Rippon picked up the challenge and stroked 28 from 22, and Jake Gibson clubbed a quickfire 17.
Michael Rae made a double breakthrough for Otago in the powerplay.
Max O’Dowd top edged a catch to Foxcroft, who bobbled it but eventually hauled it in.
That pair combined again. This time Foxcroft moved to slip and pouched a nick from Mark Chapman.
Rae got the hat-trick ball on target but Robbie O’Donnell greeted it with the middle of his bat.
George Worker (27) fell victim to a reflex catch by Rutherford, leaving his side 46 for three.
The hole deepened when Robbie O’Donnell clonked a full toss to Matt Bacon.
The Aces needed 101 to win from the remaining 10 overs.
Will O’Donnell’s innings should have been snuffed out on 20, but Bacon badly misjudged the catch and even a late lunge forward could not rescue the effort.
Foxcroft did not stay disappointed too long. He bowled Solia shortly after for 2.
And Will O’Donnell could not cash in on his fortune. He sliced a catch to Gibson on 22.
Foxcroft had his second and Auckland was relying on the lower middle order to get it over the line.
The Aces needed 62 off the last five overs, but it was Foxcroft who was on the charge.
He nabbed a third — Ashok flicked it to short third man — and a fourth — Ben Horne lofted it to long off.
And that was Auckland done.
Foxcroft was not done, though. He had a five-wicket bag to pick up. Delport holed out on the boundary.
Gibson made a terrific catch tip-toeing along the rope.
Auckland was eventually all out for 128. Rae nabbed the last wicket to finish with three for 16.
OTAGO
H Rutherford c Horne b Ferguson 26 (14)
T Parkes c Ferguson b Lister 15 (18)
D Foxcroft b Delport 44 (34)
J Finnie c & b Solia 16 (13)
M Rippon run out (Solia/Horne) 28 (22)
L Johnson c Ferguson b Solia 7 (4)
J Gibson run out (Horne) 17 (11)
A Hazeldine c Ashok b Ferguson 4 (3)
M Rae not out 0 (3)
Extras (2lb, 4w, 2nb) 8
Total (8 wickets, 20 overs) 165
Fall: 1-41, 2-43, 3-67, 4-113, 5-130, 6-144, 7-160, 8-165.
Bowling: L Ferguson 4-0-26-2 (1w), B Lister 4-0-29-1 (2w, 1nb), L Delport 4-0-32-1, S Solia 4-0-38-2 (1w, 1nb), A Ashok 4-0-38-0.
AUCKLAND
G Worker c Rutherford b Lockrose 27 (18)
M O'Dowd c Foxcroft b Rae 5 (9)
M Chapman c Foxcroft b Rae 0 (1)
R O'Donnell c Bacon b Rippon 23 (21)
W O'Donnell c Gibson b Foxcroft 22 (20)
S Solia b Foxcroft 2 (5)
B Horne c Finnie b Foxcroft 21 (16)
A Ashok c Rae b Foxcroft 0 (3)
L Delport c Gibson b Foxcroft 7 (7)
L Ferguson c Rutherford b Rae 6 (11)
B Lister not out 8 (8)
Extras (2b, 1lb, 4w) 7
Total (all out, 19.5 overs) 128
Fall: 1-25, 2-25, 3-46, 4-64, 5-81, 6-92, 7-105, 8-106, 9-117, 10-128.
Bowling: A Hazeldine 4-0-29-0 (2w), M Bacon 3-0-26-0, M Rae 2.5-0-16-3, B Lockrose 4-0-35-1 (2w), M Rippon 2-0-8-1, D Foxcroft 4-0-11-5.
Result: Otago won by 37 runs.
