The Otago 21-year-old left-armer ripped out three late wickets to help his side fight back in a crucial Plunket Shield game against Northern Districts at the University Oval yesterday.
The visitors were 285 for eight at stumps on day one.
Half an hour earlier, they were bossing the game.
But O’Connor, who claimed a staggering 13 for 85 in his previous outing, changed the course of the innings with an inspired spell.
Ben Pomare got a ripper. It swung in on the angle and flicked the top of the stumps.
Scott Kuggeleijn had his off-stump pushed back next ball. Another cracker.
The hat-trick eluded O’Connor. But he did not have to wait long for more success.
He was hitting the perfect length and did it again. This time it was Tim Pringle who perished.
Earlier in the match, O’Connor had removed seasoned opener Jeet Raval.
He finished the day with four for 54. There is another five-wicket bag on offer for him today when the match resumes.
Northern had had the better of the game up until that point.
Patience is still a virtue in this Tik-Tonk-It world.
Not every shot has to be a reverse sweep or a scoop.
The forward defence still has value and they employed it wisely to begin with.
The batters were not throwing their wicket away in pursuit of quick runs. But they pounced when the bowlers got it wrong.
The opening pair of Raval and Henry Cooper added 55 for the first wicket.
Cooper was levered from the crease for 28. Danru Ferns got the ball to bounce a bit more and Jack Boyle grabbed the catch at third slip.
Raval (51) got out to a stunner from O’Connor. He had just posted his 50th half-century and looked well set to push on.
Bharat Popli and Joe Carter took toll of some poor bowling after the tea break.
Popli used his feet nicely to get to the pitch of a delivery from Ben Lockrose and deposited the ball over long-on for six as he closed in on his 35th half-century.
He bought up the milestone with a crisp drive through the covers.
Lockrose was proving expensive. He created a couple of half-chances, but the forward defence was suddenly unfashionable again.
Runs were flowing much too easily.
Carter got in on the fun, battering another couple of loose deliveries to the rope.
Lockrose’s eight-over spell cost his side 48 runs. He was replaced by part-timer Troy Johnson as Otago looked for a way to stop haemorrhaging runs.
Carter galloped through to a half-century off 58 balls.
Otago captain Luke Georgeson got a much-needed breakthrough.
He got the ball to stand up off the pitch. Popli (72) lunged forward and collected the ball with the edge of his bat.
He and Carter had added 115 from 145 balls in a punishing partnership that had put the home side firmly on the back foot.
Jarrod McKay pulled off a tremendous return catch to remove Robbie O’Donnell for 20. He dived full length to his right and intercepted the ball centimetres above the deck.
He struck again quickly. Carter got a tickle down leg to the keeper Max Chu, bringing his fine knock of 84 to a close.
The game got under way late due to some showers in the morning.
In the other games, Canterbury posted 334 and Central Districts are one without loss in Rangiora, while at the Basin Reserve, Wellington made 309 and Auckland are 49 for two.
NORTHERN DISTRICTS
First innings
J Raval b O’Connor 51
H Cooper c Boyle b Ferns 28
B Popli c Chu b Georgeson 72
J Carter c Chu b McKay 84
R O’Donnell c&b McKay 20
K Clarke not out 15
B Pomare b O’Connor 2
S Kuggeleijn b O’Connor 0
T Pringle b O’Connor 5
Extras (1lb, 5w, 2nb) 8
Total (8 wkts, 74.4 overs) 285
Fall: 1-55, 2-105, 3-220, 4-255, 5-266 6-275, 7-275, 8-285
Bowling: L Georgeson 16-4-66-1 (1nb), T O’Connor 14.4-2-54-4 (1w, 1nb), J McKay 15-0-52-2 (2w), D Ferns 12-0-44-1 (2w), B Lockrose 8-0-48-0, T Johnson 9-2-20-0
