It has not been a glorious season for the Volts.
They get the participation certificate but the attached ribbon is more of an off green than a crisp blue.
And we all know why. The batting delivered less than the subprime mortgage market.
Funny, that, because back in October the batting line-up appeared to offer so much promise.
Otago has a lot of experience in its top order. Neil Broom, Rob Nicol and Hamish Rutherford have all played test cricket, while Brad Wilson and Anaru Kitchen are proven domestic players.
Throw in the likes of Derek de Boorder, Jimmy Neesham and Mark Craig and the Volts boast a formidable middle order.
Despite that line-up, Otago managed just three first-class centuries between them. It is worth noting it was not a good first-class season for batsmen but the Volts found themselves five down for not very many far too often to be competitive.
The captain, Rob Nicol, was in such a lean trot he actually volunteered to carry the drinks in order to make room for Shawn Hicks - one of the few Otago batsmen to enhance his reputation.
Nicol mustered just 175 runs at an average of 13.46. His sequence of scores paints an uncomfortable picture: 0, 24*, 19, 39, 0, 2, 5, 0, 0, 1, 6, 36, 3, 11*, 17, 12*.
They are not the sort of numbers that demand a playing contract next summer. Nicol was brought into the squad to lead the side for the next two or three seasons but that plan must be more than frayed at the edges.
Broom has been the backbone of the Otago batting effort for more than a decade and slipped past Bert Sutcliffe into second place on the list of career highest scorers for Otago.
The classy right-hander has 6052 runs at an average of 42.02 in 98 first-class games for the province but was well below his best this season with 378 at 29.07.
He got enough starts but was not able to push past the 40s like he has done so consistently at domestic level during the years.
Nicol and Broom were in good company, though. Other than Hicks (147 at 36.75), who impressed in his rookie season for Otago, and de Boorder, who was consistent with 575 runs at 35.93, everyone else endured a relatively lean season.
Rutherford (577 at 30.36) had patches of form but struggled post Christmas. Fellow opener Brad Wilson (352 at 23.46) was not able to have the impact he would have liked either.
Neesham (533 at 35.53) found the middle more often late in the season but tended to get himself out when he was set and pushing for the sorts of scores that will get him back into contention for the Black Caps.
There was a lot to like about the bowling effort, though. And Otago fans can draw plenty of hope from that sphere.
Injury-prone paceman Warren Barnes finally made his first-class debut and really shone in his two opportunities with 15 wickets at an average of 11.86.
If he can stay fit and carry that form into next season, then clear a space for the Plunket Shield.
Matt Bacon was another to impress in his debut season for Otago. He carried the drinks a lot but proved he was more than up to the challenge with 10 wickets at 14.90.
South African-born leg spinner Michael Rippon will play as a local next season and, with 19 wickets at 25.52, has big role to play in the future as well.
Michael Rae had a breakthrough season with 29 wickets at 25.10. He brought tremendous energy with the old ball, while Jacob Duffy nabbed three five-wicket bags and took 29 at 23.62.
At 22 and 23 respectively, they have a lot of cricket ahead of them.
Did we mention Neil Wagner? He had another solid domestic season with 24 wickets at 26.54. But will he be back next summer?
Stats that sank Otago
Otago managed just six wins from 26 games across three formats this summer. Here are a few more damaging first-class statistics cricket writer Adrian Seconi dug up.
Five-for-not-many: Otago's experienced batting line-up did not give its bowling unit much to work with this summer.
The Volts found themselves five down without 100 on the board six times.
They were also five for 101 against Wellington in the second innings at the Basin Reserve and five for 105 against Central Districts in Napier.
That might be a good start in the mud at Bishopscourt but it is terrible anywhere else.
Scoreboard pressure: Given their often destructive starts, it is no surprise to learn the Volts were dismissed for under 200 in eight of their 19 innings (42%).
Scores of 300-plus were rare, with Otago topping the mark just four times.
Its best score for the season was the 513 for seven it posted against Central Districts at the University Oval in November. It ended up losing that game by two wickets.
30s and 40s: A quick 30 or a promising 40 is a cracking effort if you bat deep in the order.
But you are meant to push on if you occupy one of the top six spots. Otago struggled in that area, with the top half of the order tallying 22 scores between 30 and 49.
That is a lot of missed opportunities to make a more substantial contribution.
Second-innings woes: Otago was feeble during its second innings. It was dismissed for under 200 on six occasions and lost 76 wickets for 1690 runs at an average of 22.23.
Its best score was 318 in a heartbreaking 25-run lost to Northern Districts at Molyneux Park. It only got back into that game thanks to some fine bowling by Jacob Duffy and Michael Rippon.
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Comments
Another good stat would be how many times Otago was ahead after the first innings and went on to lose. The season could have been so much better if they held their nerve. No side can lose from anywhere like Otago can.