Otago A successes catch coach’s eye

Otago A players are keeping the pressure on the Volts with some outstanding performances in their tri-series games against Canterbury A and Auckland A in Lincoln.

Top order batsman Josh Tasman-Jones plundered 103 from 111 balls to help his side beat Canterbury A in a one-day on Saturday by six wickets.

Earlier, left arm spinner Ben Lockrose had taken four for 26 to help restrict the home side to 264 for eight.

Mitch Renwick (61) and Gregor Croudis (37) made valuable contributions as well, while Fraser Colson was there at the end again, with an unbeaten 41.

Colson played a key role in the five-wicket win against Auckland A a day earlier with an unbeaten 64.

Auckland had been dismissed for 255. The wickets were shared around but all-rounder Christi Viljoen, who was unlucky to be left out of the Volts side this weekend, took two for 29 and whacked 59 from 44 to help run down the total with more than six overs to spare.

With experienced Otago batsman Neil Broom sidelined with a fractured bone in his hand for the next three to four weeks, Volts coach Rob Walter is keeping a keen eye on the progress.

"In the past couple of years Otago A have struggled to get a win ... but they won those one-day games quite convincingly," Walter said.

"That is great to see. And it is great to see guys getting hundreds and making good contributions at the top.

"All we can ask is that the next guys in line are in form and ready to go if they are called upon and we are seeing that now."

The tournament switched to the twenty20 format yesterday and Otago continued its winning streak with a comprehensive 46-run win against Canterbury.

Tom Beaton top scored with 39 to help Otago reach 162 for six, while Travis Muller (two for 11) and Lockrose (four for 25) helped dismiss the opposition for 116 in the 18th over.

Auckland had a comfortable nine-wicket win against Canterbury in the early match. Rajvinder Sandhu starred with four for 15.

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