The Otago all-rounder had been sidelined with a groin strain since mid-July.
But he is back taking wickets and scoring runs.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old will be a key figure as Otago look to chase down the 365 more runs they need to beat Canterbury at the University Oval today.
The Volts are 18 without loss.
Phillips has played an enormous role in keeping the home side in the game.
He resumed yesterday on 84 but was undone by his old mate Ish Sodhi for 94.
Sodhi got a delivery to scuttle through and trapped him lbw.
The pair have been going at the entire game.
Sodhi clubbed him for three sixes on his way to a maiden century, and Phillips dispatched him for six sixes.
"We’ve had a to and fro over the last couple of years," Phillips said.
"It’s been fantastic. Sometimes I get him, sometimes he gets me."
While Glenn Phillips missed out on a century, his younger brother Dale clipped 107 for Auckland.
"Obviously, he’s had a little bit of a tough start at Auckland, so for him to be able to go out there and get his maiden 100 for them is fantastic."
Phillips’ groin complaint ruled him out of contention for the first test against the West Indies at Hagley Oval next week.
But the right-arm spinner has got through the best part of 52 overs and picked up four wickets, including the scalp of test captain Tom Latham.
"Ha. Tommy’s all for the boys doing well," Phillips laughed when asked if getting his captain out was a good idea ahead of the eventual selection meeting for the second test.
"But obviously for him to get a little game-sighter of where I’m at was helpful."
Otago resumed on 254 for five, trailing by 247.
Sodhi got his man early.
Phillips was so out that he did not bother to wait for the umpire’s decision before putting in some purposeful strides towards the dressing room.
Luke Georgeson advanced his overnight score of 10 through to 59 not out.
He looked in good touch, but his team-mates could not stick with him.
Sodhi stuck to his task and finished with four for 110, and Angus McKenzie kept toiling away and was rewarded with three for 56.
Canterbury captured the last three wickets in six balls.
The Otago tail tanked harder than sales for Coke Life.
Canterbury openers Latham and Chad Bowes set about building on the 159-run lead the visitors had established.
They got through to lunch safely.
Georgeson bowled an impressive spell after the break and picked up the wickets of Bowes (19) and Rhys Mariu (2).
Phillips drew a mistake from Latham, who chopped on for 23, and removed Matt Boyle for 22.
But Henry Nicholls and Mitch Hay put on an unbroken stand of 131.
Hay (43 not out) clouted Phillips for a big six over long-on.
Moments later, Nicholls (109 not out) swept Ben Lockrose for four to bring up back-to-back hundreds in the game — his 21st first-class century.
He hit one more six and decided to declare, leaving Otago needing 383 to win from a minimum of 107 overs.
"It’s going to take a lot of really good batting, but as we saw, we got 340-odd the first innings, and obviously we left a bunch out there," Phillips said.
"So, I think 380 is definitely gettable, but we’ve got to take it as deep as we possibly can first."
In Mount Maunganui, Auckland set Northern Districts a mammoth chase of 510 to win. Northern Districts were 99 without loss and stumps and need a further 411 to win.
In the rain-affected match at the Basin Reserve, Central Districts declared their first innings closed at 118 for three, conceding a deficit of 236 runs. Wellington rattled on 124 for four and lead by 360.
CANTERBURY
First innings 501/7dec
OTAGO
First innings
J Boyle b Rae 21
J Cumming c Nicholls b Davey 41
T Jones b Sodhi 21
T Parkes b McKenzie 41
G Phillips lbw Sodhi 94
M Chu c Mariu b Davey 22
L Georgeson not out 59
B Lockrose lbw McKenzie 17
D Ferns b Sodhi 8
M Bacon lbw Sodhi 0
J McKay c Nicholls b McKenzie 0
Extras (9lb, 3w, 6nb)18
Total (All out, 90.4 overs)342
Fall: 1-72, 2-72, 3-96, 4-182, 5-227, 6-287, 7-325, 8-337, 9-337, 10-342.
Bowling: F Sheat 17-4-54-0 (1w), S Davey 14-2-53-2 (3nb, 1w), A McKenzie 16.4-3-56-3, M Rae 20-2-57-1 (1w), I Sodhi 22-0-110-4 (3nb), Matt Boyle 1-0-3-0.
CANTERBURY
Second innings
T Latham b Phillips 23
C Bowes b Georgeson 19
R Mariu c Chu b Georgeson 2
H Nicholls not out 109
M Boyle c Chu b Phillips 22
M Hay not out 43
Extras (1lb, 4w)5
Total (for 4 wkts dec, 57.3 overs)223
Fall: 1-36, 2-47, 3-47, 4-92
Bowling: G Phillips 26-2-93-2, J McKay 8-0-48-0 (2w), B Lockrose 5.3-0-30-0, L Georgeson 7-3-9-2 (2w), M Bacon 3-0-18-0, D Ferns 8-1-24-0.
OTAGO
Second innings
J Cumming not out 14
J Boyle not out 4
Extras 0
Total (11 overs)18
Bowling: A McKenzie 4-1-10-0, M Rae 5-1-4-0, I Sodhi 2-0-4-0.
