The Canterbury captain was left stranded on 96 not out in a rain-affected Plunket Shield match against Otago at Hagley Oval.
Poor weather dominated the final two days of the game, which ended in a tame draw.
But play did briefly resume on day four, and Nicholls made a push for a fourth first-class hundred this season.
Canterbury resumed on 211 for seven but were bowled out for 227 in reply to Otago’s tally of 296.
Thomas O’Connor (three for 38) and Matt Bacon (two for 44) mopped up the tail.
The other game between Wellington and Central Districts also finished in a draw.
While wins have been hard to get on the field for the Volts, the Otago Cricket Association has registered a victory off the paddock.
Work has begun on the $2.2 million indoor facility at Logan Park.
The facility will provide year-round access to training surfaces for high-performance and pathway athletes, as well as community cricket participants across the region, the OCA said in a press release.
It will feature a minimum of 14 grass pitches with full run-ups, and four artificial pitches for community use, two of which will also offer full run-ups.
The development complements the existing training pitches already established at Logan Park.
Otago Cricket chief executive Mike Coggan described the project as transformative.
"This is a game-changer for our performance athletes and our community pathway players," he said.
‘‘Year-round access to grass training facilities will accelerate player development and significantly enhance our high-performance environment."
The facility will be constructed on the site of the former four tennis courts closest to Harbour Tce.
The 66m x 22m greenhouse-style structure will incorporate a mechanical opening roof and sides, enabling optimal grass growth during spring and summer while maintaining training capacity throughout winter and other periods of inclement weather.
Preparation work and canopy construction are expected to take three months, with the main structure scheduled for completion by the end of May, while the pitches are anticipated to be ready for use early in the new year.
