SBS Bank Otago Volts, 335-7 (Redmond 63, Wells 41, Bracewell 98, de Boorder 39, McCullum 46) beat SKYCITY Northern Knights 113 in 27.3 overs (Duffy 3-31 off 6.1,3, Wells 3-15 off 5) by 222 runs at Molyneux Park, Alexandra.
The SBS Bank Otago Volts completed a day to remember for all host teams in the first round of the new Ford Trophy season as they thumped the SKYCITY Northern Knights by a staggering 222 runs — shattering Ford Trophy records for both the biggest all-time winning margin by any side, and the most runs scored in an innings at Alexandra’s beloved Molyneux Park.
Their total eclipsed the longstanding mark of 297-4 set by the England XI that played Otago here in the 1983/84 summer, and in perfect conditions Volts captain Aaron Redmond certainly had had no hesitation in electing to bat after winning the toss.
His first-up 50 set the tone for a big day out, which also featured a healthy all-round return for opener and spinner Sam Wells, who was making his comeback from a torn calf sustained in the Georgie Pie Super Smash season.
Remarkably, given the records that would fall, no batsman was permitted the honour of acentury — although Michael Bracewell came agonisingly close, top-scoring with 98 before he was caught off leg spinner Ish Sodhi two runs shy of what would have been Bracewell’s maiden Ford Trophy hundred, having already scored a List A ton for New Zealand A in his career.
Faced with a steep chase, the Knights simply could not muster any kind of similar momentum in reply against a searing Volts attack. Captain and opener Daniel Flynn’s 34 was their best effort in a stuttering scoreboard of just 113, the visitors dismissed inside 28 overs with only four batsmen making more than 10 runs. Wells ended his pleasing comeback with 3-15 off just five overs, Jacob Duffy also picking up three to see the Volts to first place on the points table with the day’s best net run rate.
