The first two days seemed easy for Otago.
They posted a massive score and picked up 12 Wellington wickets.
But the Firebirds mounted a wonderful fightback at the Basin Reserve yesterday.
Nick Kelly and Jesse Tashkoff put on 187 for the seventh wicket.
Tashkoff smashed 97 from 99 balls.
Kelly added a brilliant 150.
But Wellington were all out for 393, which still left Otago needing just 96 to win.
And that is not so hard.
The Volts were 35 without loss at stumps and should canter to victory at the Basin Reserve today. Just 61 runs to get.
But they had to roll up their sleeves yesterday.
Wellington resumed in a situation best described as dire straits-adjacent.
They were forced to follow-on, having fallen over for 224 in reply to Otago’s huge score of 522 for nine declared.
And they were 16 for two in their second dig. The Firebirds still needed 282 runs to make the Volts bat again.
That is pretty adjacent.
Nightwatchman Michael Snedden lasted four overs before he got a faint edge through to Max Chu for 13. That was the first of five catches the gloveman pouched.
Gareth Severin (65) and Kelly stymied Otago with a partnership of 94.
The South African-born Severin notched his eighth first-class half-century.
There was an odd thick edge and not a lot of quality footwork.
He certainly kept the bowlers interested.
But the right-hander brought up the milestone with a nicely-timed cover drive before getting a touch through to Chu.
Matt Bacon secured the breakthrough and struck again quickly.
The dangerous Tim Robinson prodded forward and fed Chu another.
Wellington went to lunch at 136 for five.
Kelly really does swivel nicely into pull shots.
The former Otago batter is adept off the back foot, but dispatched some delightful drives which is another strong suit of his.
The 32-year-old left-hander goes hard at the ball and that always creates some anxious moments.
That was best illustrated when he clipped three consecutive boundaries off Jarrod McKay in the 55th over. The first was a crisp drive, the second defeated the slip cordon and the third was one of his trademark pull shots.
That got him into the 90s and he brought up his 12th first-class ton with a slog sweep for four.
Meanwhile, Tashkoff was hovering on the back foot and picking off more than the odd boundary as well.
The deficit was erased before the tea break and Tashkoff switched into attack mode, clobbering part-timer Jack Boyle for a couple of sixes and a boundary as he closed in on his second first-class hundred.
But Ben Lockrose cut him off three runs short.
Bacon finished with three for 53, and the Black Caps will be delighted to see Glenn Phillips nab three for 60 from 24 overs. He bowled with discipline and control.
In the other games, Auckland finished off Central Districts inside three days in Palmerston North.
The Aces rolled the Stags for 154 to clinch a win by an innings and 61 runs.
Rohit Gulati claimed a maiden five-wicket bag to help seal the victory.
In Rangiora, Canterbury are chasing 370 to win and are 15 for three at stumps with a day to play. Northern Districts posted 380 for eight declared in their second innings. Bharat Popli led the way with 116.
