Otago have been left with a bruised ego.
The Volts lost four wickets in seven balls. The chase was labouring before that, but Max Chu’s departure for 15 ushered in an apocalypse of sorts.
They were rolled for 137 to gift Auckland a 95-run Ford Trophy win at Eden Park Outer Oval yesterday.
The Aces had posted 232, which seemed well within reach. A solid partnership or two and Otago would have been golden.
But Simon Keene and Adi Ashok teamed up to vaporise the middle order.
Chu turned himself into steam. He mistimed a pull shot and hit Keene’s delivery as far as Sid Dixit at deep backward square.
Troy Johnson perished two balls later. Keene again.
He got the ball to pop a little and Troy Johnson fended it to second slip.
Luke Georgeson edged his second delivery to Neesham, who bagged a third slip catch. It was either catch it, or wear it on the chin.
Ashok could argue that he deceived the batter in flight. He certainly lured Georgeson into a drive.
The leg spinner trapped Ben Lockrose in front for a golden duck next ball.
Danru Ferns denied Ashok a hat-trick. But Otago had slumped from 76 for three to 77 for seven.
The balance of the game had lurched dramatically.
Otago still had Llew Johnson at the wicket and he threatened briefly. He whacked a couple of sixes and got through to 31 before he tried to swing a delivery from Ben Lister away and had his off stump rattled.
Mercifully, the end came quickly.
Ashok sent tailenders Matt Bacon and Jarrod McKay packing with the wrong 'un. Neither had the right stuff. But they both bowled well, at least.
McKay nabbed three for 25 from 10 overs, and Bacon took three for 43.
Lockrose also had a good outing at the bowling crease. The left-arm spinner took three for 33.
Auckland openers Dale Phillips (27) and Dixit (35) put on 64 for the first wicket, which proved to be the biggest partnership of the game.
Cam Fletcher (46) and Neesham (35) added 60 for the fourth wicket. That was valuable as well.
Ashok finished with four for 43 and Keene and Lister nabbed three apiece.
Otago’s next assignment is a home fixture against Central Districts on Monday.
The Stags will be hurting too.
Kristian Clarke whacked a maiden century and combined in a Northern Districts record eighth-wicket stand against Central Districts with Tim Pringle (34). The pair added 71 to help ND through to 271 for eight from 49 overs in New Plymouth.
Clarke also picked up three wickets to help stop the Stags at 156 for nine all out, Curtis Heaphy having retired hurt on 58.
ND registered a 113-run win (DLS method).
Wellington edged Canterbury by two wickets in a tense match at the Basin Reserve. Canterbury scored 258. Matt Boyle top-scored with 73.
Peter Younghusband rescued the Firebirds with a career-high 83 from No 8. James Hartshorn hit the winning run with an over to spare.
