Weather cuts short Otago’s momentum

Otago's twenty20 rematch with Auckland ended with the players looking out the window at the covers.

It is the third cricket fixture at the University of Otago Oval this season which has been rain-affected.

A four-day game between the two teams was abandoned without a ball bowled. There was also a Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts affected by poor weather.

Volts coach Rob Walter cut a frustrated figure. His team has started the Super Smash with two superb wins.

Otago beat Auckland in the opening round and was hoping to serve up similar treatment in front of a small crowd of about 150 yesterday.

But the game was called off shortly before 6pm. The Volts had reached 55 for two from 7.4 overs when the rain settled in.

"We hang out to play at home," Walter said.

"As you can see the ground was in great condition and we had actually had a decent run from a weather point of view, so it is disappointing that on game day we get rained out.

‘‘Having come off the two performances that we have had it would have been nice to keep playing.

‘‘When you are playing well you want to keep playing."

Last season Otago had two rained-off games and played just one competitive game in three weeks. It proved a momentum killer.

The Volts’ next assignment is against Wellington at the Basin Reserve on Saturday.

Unless injury strikes, Otago is likely to stick with the same 12 .

The teams pick up two points each for the rained-off game which is enough for Otago to take top spot off Central Districts.

Auckland had the better of the little cricket which was played. The visiting side seized the initiative with an early double strike.

Veteran right-hander Neil Broom went for seven following a moment of indecision. He shaped to pull a delivery from Mitchell McClenaghan, got cramped, tried to bail and ended up getting the splice of the bat.

The ball ballooned behind the wicket and keeper Glenn Phillips made a tremendous diving catch.

Hamish Rutherford was striking the ball crisply and clouted consecutive sixes. But his promising innings was cut short in unfortunate circumstances.

Dean Foxcroft had cracked a straight dive back at the bowler, Will Somerville, and he deflected it on to the stumps.

Rutherford had to trudge back to the dressing room for 19.

Otago had lost its two best batsmen inside four overs.

The rebuild was undone by rain but Foxcroft had settled in nicely and looked in good touch again.