Otago opener Hamish Rutherford certainly gave it a decent crack.
Northern Districts posted a competitive score of 153 for seven at Bay Oval on Saturday night.
The Volts staggered past the target in the last over.
They were eight down when Dale Phillips whipped the ball to the midwicket boundary to secure victory.
The visiting side may have fallen short had it not been for some clever batting from Rutherford, though.
He put a big dent in the tally with a monster over of hitting. Scott Kuggeleijn’s poison is his pace and the Knight’s spearhead had to sup from the chalice.
Rutherford used the extra heat the bowler was generating to send to ball to boundary four times and over the rope once.
There were four leg byes in the over as well, taking the total to 26. That was about 17% of the target eclipsed just like that.
But the onslaught slowed once the power play was done.
Llew Johnson edged the ball on 17 and Rutherford was run out for 49 from 28 deliveries.
Anaru Kitchen (three) had a dirty swipe and got an edge.
The Volts were suddenly four down but had got so far ahead of the rate all the side needed was one or two players to knuckle down and nudge the ball around.
Kuggeleijn, to his credit, returned after the nightmare over and picked up the wicket of Nick Kelly.
Madness had descended on the Volts’ camp by then. Mitch Renwick attempted a suicidal second run and finished a distant second.
ichael Rippon hit the ball straight to mid-off.
Jacob Duffy kept swinging and on his third attempt edged to the keeper.
The final runs were left to Phillips (10 not out) and Mitchell McClenaghan (14 not out).
They still had plenty of breathing space thanks to Rutherford’s knock and they calmly chipped off the required 22 runs.
Zak Gibson was outstanding for the Knights. He took three for 17, including two in the 16th over to set up a tense finish.
Earlier, Northern Districts opening pair Katene Clarke and Tim Seifert put on 84 to set up a terrific platform.
It was looking a little dire for Otago but left-arm wrist spinner Rippon helped change the momentum.
Sometimes all it takes is a couple of dot balls and the pressure swings to the batsmen.
Clarke felt it because he danced down the wicket and was stumped for 26.
Seifert had become becalmed and could not get back on strike. He watched from the other end as Dean Brownlie came and went.
Matt Bacon and Kitchen were able to slip in cheap overs and that great start had unravelled a little.
Seifert was still at the crease, though, and the attention shifted to whether the Black Caps twenty20 star could catch some wind again.
Anton Devcich was no help. He was bowled by Kitchen.
Brett Hampton chased a wide delivery from Rippon and was out before he could launch his power-hitting game.
And Seifert eventually holed out in the deep for 74 from 58.
Bacon (three for 35) grabbed a third scalp when Scott Kuggeleijn mistimed a lofted drive for 14 later in the over, while Rippon took two for 19 to help turn the game.
