Otago escaped with a draw in its Plunket Shield clash in Auckland despite the home team always being in the driving seat, right from the opening day of the contest.
Ahead by 186 runs on the first innings, Auckland did not muck around in its second innings and raced through to 184 for five before declaring early yesterday in the 21st over.
It faced only 16 balls yesterday and closed its innings when Robbie O’Donnell was dismissed. That left Otago needing 371 in just over 90 overs.
In the end, it got nowhere near but managed to hold on with the last pair, Smith and Michael Rae, at the wicket when stumps were pulled with Otago on 227 for nine wickets.
Smith batted for five hours for his 41 not out and Otago coach Rob Walter praised the side’s determination and ability to keep out a top-class attack.
"Sometimes, when you work so hard for a draw like that, it feels like a win. We were playing against a very good side while our four-day cricket needs a bit of improvement," Walter said.
"The guys at the top order looked good and there was the possibility we would have a look at it but once we were five wickets down there wasn’t really a chance so we had to look for the draw."
Neil Broom, playing his 100th first-class game for Otago, scored six for the second time in the game and Nick Kelly could not repeat his first-innings heroics of a century as no-one from the Otago top order was able to get past 50.
When Mitch Renwick went, Otago was five wickets down with half the overs left to face.
Michael Rippon and Smith came together and fought hard but Rippon went as Lockie Ferguson came back into the attack.
The Black Caps paceman, on the way back from a calf injury, then picked up skipper Jacob Duffy and Matt Bacon, the two tailenders pushing bouncing balls into the hands of Auckland fielders on the offside.
Michael Rae came to the wicket at the end and he stood together with Smith to keep Auckland from victory.
"I think the two tailenders [Rae and Bacon] together faced something like 88 balls so that is something to be proud of. Nathan played very well."
Walter said the draw gave the side plenty of encouragement and the good thing was it showed the team was growing its four-day game.
"In these sort of games, it is not about them [Auckland] but about us and what we can do."
The pitch at Eden Park was an excellent four-day wicket, he said.
Otago will now return home and play Canterbury in Invercargill, starting on Sunday.
It is touch and go whether Hamish Rutherford, who was concussed in the one-day final on February 16, will be available.
Canterbury had an easy innings and 134-run win over Wellington in Rangiora.
In Napier, Central Districts beat Northern Districts by eight wickets. The side had to score 73 in eight overs and it got home in the final over.
Dane Cleaver had an excellent match, scoring a double-century, setting a Central Districts wicketkeeping record with nine dismissals in the match and hitting an 18-ball 38 to get his side home.
