It was not scheduled, but rain in Taranaki forced the opening match of the Ford Trophy one-day competition to be converted to a match where each team faced 20 overs.
The game against Central Districts was supposed to start at 11am, but did not begin until 4.30pm.
Otago won the toss and sent the home team in.
The scores are often large when playing at Pukekura Park, due to the small boundaries.
Although Central Districts scored 183 for six in its 20 overs, a solid effort in a T20 game, in New Plymouth that is not a mammoth total — especially when the chasing side has a player of the quality of Hamish Rutherford in its midst.
He strode to the wicket to open the batting for Otago and immediately went on the front foot, hitting the home town bowlers all over the park.
Rutherford anchored the Otago chase and combined with Neil Broom to score a brisk 68 run opening partnership.
Rutherford kept going when Broom departed and Otago was always on or ahead of the run rate.
Josh Finnie came in and though he only scored 21, it was off just 12 balls and got Otago nearer the target.
Rutherford was cruelly denied his century, when he exposed all of his wickets in trying to push for the tonne, and was bowled by Seth Rance. He made a classy 97 off 59 balls in 89 minutes, and hit 70 runs in boundaries, showing what a weapon he will be in the shortest form of the game.
By the time Rutherford had departed Otago was just five runs short of the target and Anaru Kitchen duly did the job, hitting two fours off the first two balls of the 19th over to clinch the victory with 10 balls to spare. Kitchen slammed 30 off just 13 balls including 24 runs in boundaries.
Earlier Jacob Duffy had bowled well for Otago, grabbing one for 28 off his four overs, while Michael Rippon and Matt Bacon also performed well with the ball.
In the other games, Canterbury had a seven-wicket win over Wellington in Christchurch, while Northern Districts beat Auckland by six wickets in a rain-affected game in Whangarei.
Otago and Central Districts will play again tomorrow at the same venue and it is hoped a full one day game can be played. Cloudy weather with no rain is forecast.
