Despite putting itself in a winning position, the side could not get the job done against the Auckland Aces at Eden Park Outer Oval yesterday. It was beaten by 19 runs, slumping to two losses from two games in the Ford Trophy one-day competition.
The game was in the balance with eight overs remaining. Otago needed 40 runs to win and had three wickets in hand, with Derek de Boorder and Christi Viljoen at the crease.
De Boorder had found the boundary all around the park and was accumulating well when he was run out for 36.
A miscommunication meant he took off from the non-striker's end after Viljoen pushed one to cover and took two steps forward before retreating. De Boorder tried to hustle back but a direct hit from Donovan Grobbelaar had him caught short of his ground.
It proved to be a dagger for Otago. Lockie Ferguson picked up the final two wickets and Otago was bowled out for 238 in 46.3 overs.
Earlier, Anaru Kitchen got Otago off to a great start with the ball. The left-arm spinner opened for the second game in a row and picked up the wickets of Michael Guptill-Bunce and Glenn Phillips in his first two overs. That gave him figures of two for five and meant Auckland was reeling at 24 for two.
Kitchen returned to the crease eight overs later to nab the next wicket. He snared Nicol caught and bowled for seven, breaking his 44-run partnership with Sean Solia.
Auckland got back on track as Robbie O'Donnell joined Solia at the crease. The pair put on 92 runs over the next 15 overs as Viljoen and Ryan Duffy proved expensive for Otago. Viljoen went for 35 off his four overs and Duffy 37 off five.
Jack Hunter took back the momentum when he claimed the crucial wicket of Solia, who was caught by Duffy in the 31st over for 84. That sparked a mini-collapse, as Hunter and Duffy combined two overs later to claim the wicket of Brad Horne for one.
Kitchen struck again the next over, removing O'Donnell lbw for 42. It was a crucial period in which Auckland slumped to 166 for six. Kitchen finished with figures of four for 23, while Hunter took two for 46.
Jimmy Neesham took the remaining four wickets to finish with four for 58, as Auckland was bowled out for 257 in the 49th over. Grobbelaar hit 45 off 41 balls.
Needing 258 runs to win, Otago's chase got off to a strong start. The side was 54 for one when Gregor Croudis was dismissed lbw for 17 by Grobbelaar.
At the other end, Brad Wilson was pushing along nicely and hit seven fours as he managed 40 off 43 balls. He was bowled by spinner Rob Nicol after trying to play a straight delivery through the legside on the front foot.
Neesham joined Ryan Duffy at the crease at 74 for two and found the boundary all around the wicket, scoring at a run a ball. When he was bowled trying to sweep Tarun Nethula for 28, the balance began to tilt Auckland's way.
Duffy was caught then by keeper Phillips for 24, leaving the Volts at 134 for four in the 26th over. Kitchen and Michael Bracewell both got starts but neither was able to push on.
