Leading batsman Neil Broom will be playing in a three-day game for New Zealand A, while Neil Wagner will join the Black Caps to prepare for the first test against the West Indies early next month.
Otago’s Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts at Molyneux Park gets under way on Friday and the Volts will still be hurting from their tense two-wicket loss to Central Districts at the University Oval on Saturday.
The home team dominated the match for the first three days but a kamikaze batting display on the final morning and a crucial dropped catch proved costly.
"We played exceptionally poorly [Saturday] morning," Otago coach Rob Walter said.
"They should have had another 35 runs to score at the end and that would have been the difference."
Otago lost its last five wickets for just 16 runs in 4.1 overs. The Volts had not planned on batting for long but the sudden collapse was like a declaration by apocalypse.
They were all out for 177 which left Central Districts needing 332 to win from 89 overs at a run rate of 3.73.
Adam Milne and Ajaz Patel benefited from the batting calamity, snatching five-wicket bags each. But the game was in the balance still and Otago seized back initiative.
Jacob Duffy nicked out opener George Worker (12) and then Wagner struck with a bouncer to remove Greg Hay (14).
Central had slumped to 26 for two and Ross Taylor should have been out shortly after. The international was dropped in the gully by Hamish Rutherford before he had opened his account.
It was a big moment in the game and a huge disappointment for Duffy, who bowled tremendously well in the match, grabbing five wickets in the second innings.
"That was obviously a key moment in the game. He went on to get 90."
Taylor combined with Will Young in a 166-run stand for the third wicket.
Young had his fifth first-class century in sight when he skipped down the wicket to spinner Mark Craig and was stumped for 83 by Derek de Boorder, who had stunning game behind the wickets.
Central was 207 for three at tea and needed a further 125 runs from 30 overs to win.
With Taylor and Jesse Ryder at the wicket, that target was comfortable.
The Volts needed some inspiration and Duffy provided it. He lured Taylor into a drive and knocked out his middle stump. Tom Bruce lost the same stump when he tried to defend a straight delivery two balls later.
The game was back in the balance but did not stay that way for long. Dane Cleaver came out and blazed boundary after boundary.
If the Volts had a first slip in place early during Cleaver’s innings, they might have saved themselves the pain of his 45-ball innings. Instead he stroked 11 fours on his way to 56, and his eventual dismissal came too late.
"You probably would have liked to have had a slip in. But the ball was reversing so they probably felt that catcher was better placed at midwicket."
There was some late drama with two more wickets falling. But Ryder kept his intact and guided his side to victory with 31 not out.
Fast bowler Warren Barnes and batsman Josh Finnie shape as likely replacements for Wagner and Broom. But leg spinner Michael Rippon, seamer Nathan Smith and the 12th man Matt Bacon are also in contention, while all-rounder Shawn Hicks struck 81 not out for Otago A and might be considered as well.
