The bad news is the Volts lost the opportunity to host the final when they were thumped by Canterbury at the University Oval yesterday.
The visitors cruised to an eight-wicket win, easily mowing down Otago’s tally of 166 for eight in front of 740 spectators.
The Volts had won their last four matches, so the defeat will not bruise their confidence too much, coach Dion Ebrahim said.
"I’m disappointed but really happy with the way we’ve played during the season," he said.
"But in any competition, you are going to have a couple of bad games.
"The team knows it did not play well ... but Thursday’s game will have a completely different context."
Volts spearhead Jacob Duffy missed yesterday’s game due to illness, but Ebrahim is hopeful the experienced campaigner will be fit.
Black Caps star Glenn Phillips will miss the game, however. He has been given leave from New Zealand Cricket.
"It is great to have Black Caps available, but our team has shown they can perform and win games without our Black Caps."
Canterbury openers Chad Bowes and Ken McClure put on a stand of 95 to get their side most of the way towards the target.
The Volts were battling uphill in reverse gear thereafter.
Canterbury’s win means it avoids the elimination final and will host the final in Christchurch on Saturday.
Hamish Rutherford’s early departure put the brakes on Otago’s innings.
But the partnership between Dean Foxcroft and Jake Gibson kicked into gear in the last over of the powerplay.
Four overthrows helped; so did the six from Foxcroft.
The next over was even more productive.
Gibson swung Ed Nuttall over midwicket for six. Foxcroft carved a full toss to the boundary. That was over waist height, so Foxcroft got a free ball and clobbered it over extra cover for six.
He pulled the final delivery for six to help take 25 runs off the over.
Ouch.
But Todd Astle struck back. Foxcroft shimmied down the wicket and was stumped for a hard-hit 46 from 29. Big wicket, that.
Max Chu came and went quickly and Michael Rippon hit a return catch to Angus McKenzie first ball.
It was a pretty special catch. McKenzie snaffled it low down to his right.
Llew Johnson could not get going as well. He tried to innovate with a scoop shot, but muffed it through to the keeper.
Josh Finnie swung a full toss to Leo Carter. That ball should have gone for six, but the timing was not there and another one fell for the home side.
The Volts had lost five for 19.
Gibson had been starved of the strike. But once the opener started to see a bit more of the action, he was able to use his power to swing Nuttall away for another six.
He brought up 50 with a lovely late cut, but found himself batting with the tail way too soon.
Astle was mostly to blame. He nabbed three for 24 in a quality spell by the seasoned wrist-spinner. Will O’Rourke’s two for 17 represented a very impressive outing as well.
Gibson carried his bat with 75 off 48. What a revelation he has been since earning a surprise promotion to open the batting just three games ago.
Otago’s total looked light and so it proved.
Bowes, a former South African under-19 representative, got his side off to a rapid start with a series of boundaries.
He helped smashed 20 off the second over.
McClure hit the ball out of the venue which caused a brief delay and gave the bowler a momentary reprieve.
But the batting highlights kept coming following the resumption.
Canterbury had muscled its way to 71 for none at the end of the powerplay.
By the time Travis Muller pulled off a stunning catch to remove Bowes for 52 from 32, the damage was irreversible.
McClure smashed a career-best 68 from 42. His innings was only cut off by another sharp catch.
Lockrose took it around his ankles.
They were consolation wickets nonetheless.
Otago
H Rutherford c Carter b O'Rourke 0 (3)
J Gibson not out 75 (48)
D Foxcroft st Fletcher b Astle 46 (29)
M Chu c Nuttall b Astle 2 (2)
M Rippon c & b McKenzie 0 (1)
L Johnson c Fletcher b O'Rourke 2 (7)
J Finnie c Carter b Foulkes 5 (7)
B Lockrose lbw Astle 14 (13)
M Bacon c Hay b Foulkes 9 (7)
M Rae not out 7 (4)
Extras (2b, 2lb, 1w, 1nb) 6
Total (for 8 wkts, 20 overs) 166
Fall: 1-0, 2-72, 3-74, 4-75, 5-81, 6-91, 7-123, 8-148.
Bowling: W O'Rourke 4-0-17-2, Z Foulkes 4-0-32-2, E Nuttall 3-0-45-0 (1w, 1nb), A McKenzie 4-0-36-1, T Astle 4-0-24-3, C McConchie 1-0-8-0.
Canterbury
C Bowes c Muller b Rippon 52 (32)
K McClure c Lockrose b Bacon 68 (42)
L Carter not out 29 (20)
C McConchie not out 13 (7)
Extras (5w) 5
Total (for 2wkts, 16.5 overs) 167
Fall: 1-95, 2-139.
Bowling: M Bacon 3-0-29-1 (1w), T Muller 1-0-20-0 (2w), M Rae 3.5-0-48-0 (2w), B Lockrose 4-0-32-0, M Rippon 4-0-30-1, D Foxcroft 1-0-8-0.
Result: Canterbury won by eight wickets.
