Otago's first task to avoid follow-on

Otago has a mammoth effort ahead if it is going to avoid an innings defeat in its Plunket Shield match against Wellington at the Basin Reserve.

Devon Conway helped drive the home side into a power position with an undefeated 203 on day two.

He had wonderful support from fellow South African left-hander Malcolm Nofal, who blasted his second first-class hundred yesterday.

The pair put on 192 for the fifth wicket to help Wellington reach 509 for five declared.

Otago slumped to 62 for four before recovering marginally to be 114 for five at stumps.

The Volts need another 395 runs to force Wellington to bat again. But the first target will be to reach 360 to avoid the follow-on.

The Volts have a long tail starting with the captain Jacob Duffy at No9.

He is two more wickets away from batting.

Conway's superb double-hundred was probably all that was standing in Wellington's way of an earlier declaration. He resumed on 131 but rain clipped the morning session to just 14 overs.

Nofal, though, had time to bring up his hundred. He was 60 not out overnight and rushed through to 103.

Shortly after lunch he got an inside edge back on to his stumps and departed for 110.

Matt Bacon got the breakthrough and ended the stand which took the game away from the visiting side.

Conway continued his progress towards his second first-class double-hundred and found another able partner in Lauchie Johns (36 not out).

By the time the declaration came, Otago had spent nearly 136 overs in the field so it was not surprising an early wicket fell.

Brad Wilson could not get going and was out trying to leave a delivery from Hamish Bennett. He got a deflection instead which crashed into his off stump.

Josh Tasman-Jones played at a delivery from Iain McPeake he could easily have left and joined his team-mate in the shed not long after.

What Otago desperately needed was a long partnership but instead form opener Hamish Rutherford was strangled down legside for 13.

The bowler got lucky that time but the next scalp was all his doing. He got the ball to jag back and trapped wicketkeeper-batsman Mitch Renwick lbw for 26.

Josh Finnie played with freedom despite the dire situation. He blazed Bennett through the covers for four shortly after arriving at the crease. But he nicked out for a breezy 33 in the last over of the day.

Shawn Hicks is 34 not out and has a lot of batting ahead if his side is going to wriggle out of a grim spot.

At Hagley Oval, Northern Districts and Black Caps all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme (115) clobbered his 12th first-class hundred to help his side reach 378. Canterbury is 83 for two in reply at stumps on day two.

Central Districts has a solid grip on its match against Auckland at Eden Park Outer Oval.

Auckland was bundled out for 184 in reply to 360.

At stumps Central was 54 for three in its second innings.

 

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