The Volts will go into the final day of their Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts needing a little magic, but with an opportunity to win — and that is right where they would have wanted to be.
They will resume on 35 without loss and need a further 318 runs to make Christmas happen.
The visitors have the upper hand, though.
They pushed on from eight for one to reach 271 in their second innings.
Joe Carter top-scored with 81 and Ben Pomare chipped in with 49.
They carried over an 81-run lead from the first innings, which could prove crucial.
Northern Districts got a fright early doors.
Thomas O’Connor cannot stay out of the headlines at the moment.
The 21-year-old left-armer grabbed two quick wickets to reduce the visitors to 25 for three.
He nicked off Henry Cooper (5) and Bharat Popli (8) in a similar fashion.
Cooper was lured into a drive, whereas Popli did his best to defend.
But nightwatchman Zak Gibson and Carter rallied, putting on 51 for the fourth wicket.
Matt Bacon eventually broke the partnership.
He started the game as the 12th man but came into the playing XI as a concussion replacement for opener Jack Boyle.
Bacon bowled a bumper to Gibson (43), who swung hard but got a tickle through to Max Chu behind the stumps.
There was more excitement in the Volts camp when Bacon removed Robbie O’Donnell for 12 and Kristian Clarke for 26.
The ball that got Clarke, rose sharply and took the edge. Chu made a stunning catch, diving high to his right.
Bacon and O’Connor had three each, but the lead was mounting.
They needed more success and quickly.
But Carter was set and not going anywhere. He was joined at the wicket by keeper Pomare and they built on the lead.
Otago left-arm spinner Ben Lockrose got clobbered out of the attack in the first innings.
But he had a better time of it yesterday, nabbing two quick wickets following the tea break, including the key wicket of Carter.
Thorn Parkes is sighted at the bowling crease about as often as the Chatham Island black robin.
But the very part-time leggie got thrown the ball and hit the jackpot fourth ball.
He trapped Pomare lbw and celebrated like a heavyweight champ.
Parkes may never get another opportunity to claim a first-class wicket again, so he enjoyed the moment.
Boyle cannot rejoin the game, so Otago’s top order will need to step up in his absence.
In the other games, Auckland recorded a comfortable eight-wicket win against Wellington at the Basin Reserve with a day to spare, while Canterbury are bossing the game against Central Districts in Rangiora.
The Stags will resume on 34 for one and need 405 runs to win.
PLUNKET SHIELD
NORTHERN DISTRICTS 339
OTAGO 258
NORTHERN DISTRICTS (2nd innings)
H Cooper c Cumming b O’Connor 5
J Raval b O’Connor 1
Z Gibson c Chu b Bacon 43
B Popli c Cumming b O’Connor 8
J Carter st Chu b Lockrose 81
R O’Donnell c Cumming b Bacon 12
K Clarke c Chu b Bacon 26
B Pomare lbw Parkes 49
S Kuggeleijn lbw Lockrose 0
T Pringle c Bacon b McKay 24
J Brown not out 14
Extras (1lb, 4w, 3nb) 8
Total (all out, 86.3 overs)
Fall: 1-5, 2-17, 3-25, 4-76, 5-95, 6-156, 7-222, 8-222, 9-235, 10-271
Bowling: T O’Connor 19-2-65-3, L Georgeson 11-3-21-0 (2nb, 1w), J McKay 14.3-3-36-1 (1nb), D Ferns 13-2-49-0, M Bacon 17-2-48-3 (3w), B Lockrose 10-1-36-2, T Parkes 2-0-15-1.
OTAGO (2nd innings)
J Cumming not out 17
T Parkes not out 17
Extras (1w) 1
Total (11 overs) 35
Bowling: Z Gibson 3-0-14-0, S Kuggeleijn 2-0-7-0 (1w), K Clarke 2-0-2-0, T Pringle 3-0-11-0, H Cooper 1-0-1-0.
