Otago will likely be in survival mode on the final day of their Plunket Shield game against Northern Districts in Hamilton today.
Northern lead by 312 runs with three wickets to spare in their second innings.
They will presumably aim to declare relatively quickly if Joe Carter, who was unbeaten on 98 at stumps, can get his century.
Northern, who ended the opening day at 313 for seven, pushed on to 346 before being dismissed on Saturday.
Tim Pringle made 29 before becoming Toby Hart’s fifth victim, and giving Volts wicketkeeper Max Chu six catches for the innings.
Hart, 22, had barely finished celebrating his maiden first-class five-wicket bag in his second game when he got Josh Brown to push one straight to Troy Johnson at cover, and the brisk right-armer finished with six for 73.
Danru Ferns wrapped up the Northern innings when he induced Zak Gibson into a mis-timed shot that Hart snaffled at fine leg.
Otago’s first innings did not start well.
Jack Boyle was trapped in front by Kristian Clarke for a second-ball duck, Tom Jones flailed at one and edged behind for 9, Jacob Cumming did something similar for 10, and Thorn Parkes had grafted to 16 when he was lbw off the bowling of Gibson.
When Chu fell for nine, the Volts were in the mire at 71 for five.
Troy Johnson and Luke Georgeson started the rescue act — and they did it well.
Johnson showed some nice timing and shot placement, particularly through the off side, passed 1000 first-class runs when he got to 26, and eased to his third half-century (first for Otago) off 78 balls.
Johnson’s innings ended on 61 when he sliced Northern spinner Pringle to first slip, but not before he and Georgeson had added 68 for the sixth wicket.
That was not the end of the fightback, though.
Georgeson pushed on and found a handy ally in Ben Lockrose as the pair took the Volts to stumps on the second day at 223 for six, Georgeson on 62 — his eighth first-class 50 — and Lockrose 35.
They kept chipping away at the deficit yesterday morning and pushed past a century partnership.
Lockrose posted his maiden half-century, off 134 balls, and the pair had added 133 for the seventh wicket when Lockrose, on 70, skied one to square leg.
Georgeson followed soon after for a fighting 74 (203 balls), and the Volts ended their first innings at 289, 57 runs in arrears.
Two quick Northern wickets in their second innings had Otago initially feeling quite optimistic.
Ferns had Jeet Raval caught behind for one, and Bharat Popli was given out lbw to Georgeson for the same score.
Henry Cooper at least held one end up for the home side. He moved smoothly to 45, hitting nine boundaries, before he swung wildly at a Georgeson inswinger and was bowled.
Lockrose then got a rather fortuitous scalp when he bowled a full toss to Robbie O’Donnell, who was so surprised he hit it straight to Jones at deep square leg.
Northern went to tea at 95 for four, leading by 152.
Carter and Brett Hampton (60 off 52 balls) then counter-attacked and put on 106 for the fifth wicket in brisk time.
Jarrod McKay nabbed a couple of wickets for the Volts but Carter was obstinate. His 98 has come off 171 balls.
Otago will need at last one batter to match him if they are to either avoid defeat or stage a spirited run chase today.
Central Districts should wrap up victory in Napier this morning.
Canterbury are 127 for eight, a mere 319 runs away from their target. Central spinner Ajaz Patel has gone past 400 first-class wickets.
Wellington are 30 for two in Auckland and also set to enter survival mode as their victory target is a further 457 runs away.
Auckland’s second innings was highlighted by a second first-class century to Bevon Jacobs.
NORTHERN DISTRICTS
First innings (resumed 313/7)
J Raval c Chu b Hart 33
H Cooper c Chu b Hart 60
B Popli c Chu b Hart 91
J Carter c Chu b Ferns 52
R O’Donnell c Georgeson b Hart 32
B Hampton c & b Georgeson 1
B Pomare c Chu b Georgeson 0
K Clarke not out 34
T Pringle c Chu b Hart 29
J Brown c Johnson b Hart 1
Z Gibson c Hart b Ferns 5
Extras (2b, 2lb, 2w, 2nb) 8
Total (all out, 106.2 overs) 346
Fall: 1-96, 2-101, 3-200, 4-263, 5-268, 6-268, 7-276, 8-339, 9-341, 10-346.
Bowling: L Georgeson 18-6-41-2, J McKay 22-3-87-0 (2w), D Ferns 20.2-4-55-2 (2nb), T Hart 21-5-73-6, B Lockrose 17-4-65-0, T Johnson 4-0-14-0, J Boyle 3-1-2-0, J Cumming 1-0-5-0.
OTAGO
First innings
J Boyle lbw b Clarke 0
J Cumming c Pomare b Brown 10
T Jones c Pomare b Gibson 9
T Parkes lbw b Gibson 16
T Johnson c Popli b Pringle 61
M Chu c Pomare b Hampton 9
L Georgeson c Popli b Hampton 74
B Lockrose c Hampton b Brown 70
D Ferns c Brown b Clarke 11
J McKay c Pringle b Hampton 4
T Hart not out 0
Extras (6b, 8lb, 7w, 4nb) 25
Total (all out, 102.2 overs) 289
Fall: 1-0, 2-15, 3-25, 4-58, 5-71, 6-139, 7-272, 8-277, 9-289, 10-289.
Bowling: K Clarke 22-6-61-2 (1w, 1nb), Z Gibson 22-7-50-2 (1nb), B Hampton 15.2-3-49-3 (1w, 1nb), J Brown 16-2-59-2 (5w, 1nb), T Pringle 17-8-34-1, J Raval 6-2-11-0, H Cooper 4-0-11-0.
NORTHERN DISTRICTS
Second innings
H Cooper b Georgeson 45
J Raval c Chu b Ferns 1
B Popli lbw b Georgeson 1
J Carter not out 98
R O’Donnell c Jones b Lockrose 17
B Hampton lbw b McKay 60
K Clarke b Boyle 1
B Pomare c Chu b McKay 11
T Pringle not out 16
Extras (2b, 1lb, 2w) 5
Total (for 7wkts, 74 overs) 255
Fall: 1-7, 2-8, 3-64, 4-93, 5-199, 6-200, 7-217.
Bowling: D Ferns 11-4-17, L Georgeson 9-3-20-2 (1w), J Cumming 1-0-4-0, T Hart 14-2-60-0 (1w), J McKay 15-5-44-2, B Lockrose 9-1-65-1, J Boyle 13-3-40-1, T Johnson 2-1-2-0.
