ROUND 7 of 10
OTAGO VOLTS lost to AUCKLAND ACES by 3 wickets
10 February 2025
University of Otago Oval, Dunedin
Points: Otago Volts 0, Auckland Aces 4
All images: PHOTOSPORT
SELECTED MILESTONES
- Dean Foxcroft : Third List A century (second for Otago Volts)
- Nikith Perera : maiden List A wickets
- Bevon Jacobs : List A career best score (63)
Highest List A 4th wicket partnerships (men) in New Zealand
The Otago Volts will be steeling themselves after another heart-breakingly close loss in The Ford Trophy. Having lost to Canterbury by just one run in the big-scoring previous round, this time they couldn't hold off the Aces who bounced back from a tough loss to the Central Stags.
The result kept the Aces well placed at second on the table, just three points behind leader Canterbury with three round to play before Finals.
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The Volts batted first after captain Max Chu won the toss, in another match that would go to the wire at their Dunedin home ground.
Posting a total of 268, they would have liked more, but had enough on the board to play with - Dale Phillips having whacked 78 off just 70 balls with 13 boundaries, and Dean Foxcroft posting his third one-day century, and second in the Volts' colours.
He reached 100 off 105 balls after a 62-run third-wicket stand with Phillips, the highest of the first innings as the hosts strung together a few handy contributions.
Foxcroft was on top of his game, the 26-year-old strong in front of the wicket and leading the way following Phillips’s departure.
But from 189/4, the rest of the Volts lost the momentum and crashed to 207/8, costing them crucial runs.
Foxcroft was still lafter his ton when number 11 batter Mason Clarke was in the middle.
Clarke did the job for his senior batter, sticking around long enough to see the three figures go up on the board.
The centurion was out a few balls later, in the final over before lunch.
Danru Ferns had starred for the Aces, finishing with 4/25 after striking twice in both his opening and death spells, finally accounting for Foxcroft.
Spinner Nikith Perera meanwhile picked up his first List A wickets in his third match, finishing with 2/37 after having dismissed Jake Gibson and Andrew Hazeldine.
Aces captain Sean Solia got the chase off to a strong start, and raced through to his half ton off 57 balls before slamming a catch to Phillips at short cover.
Phillips had Mike Sclanders stumped soon after, and the Aces' powerful start was tempered by the loss of wickets.
Another game, another half century for Fletcher | PHOTOSPORT
But Jock McKenzie helped himself to a half century as well and, although the Volts had their moments through the middle with the ball, Cam Fletcher (55) and Bevon Jacobs put together a 102-run stand to put the Aces back on course.
Jacobs finished with his new one-day career best, 63 off just 45 balls.
The final over had plenty of drama, with the wickets of Fletcher and Louis Delport in a tight chase.
Delport fell on the penultimate ball of the innings, when the Aces still needed one run for victory. A dot ball would have saved the Volts' bacon, but instead Ferns managed to beat the fielder at mid-wicket to whack a four off the last ball, and that was that.
