ROUND 5 of 10
OTAGO VOLTS defeated WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS by 114 runs
- bonus point win -
3 November 2024
University of Otago Oval
Points: Otago Volts 5, Wellington Firebirds 0
SELECTED MILESTONES
- Toby Hart: List A and Otago Volts debut
- Nick Greenwood: List A best bowling for Wellington Firebirds (4/28, previous best 2/14)
#FORDTROPHY | Debutant Toby Hart's maiden wicket came in his first over of List A cricket, the @OtagoCricket Volts electrocuting the Firebirds pic.twitter.com/3gQeVMqcXt
— #NZIII (@MargotButcher) November 3, 2024
Having tumbled from the top of the ladder to the bottom, the Otago Volts burst back into life as they shocked the Firebirds big-time in Dunedin.
Chasing the home team's 273, the Wellington Firebirds had a shot at snatching the national lead in this last round of the pre-Christmas one-dayers, but instead collapsed horrifically to 33/6 against a Volts side missing three of its frontline pace bowlers.
Proving yet again that The Ford Trophy table can throw out a plot twist at any moment, the Volts opted to bat first at home after having unfortunately lost both Matt Bacon (calf) and Andrew Hazeldine (hamstring) to injury in their loss to the Stags here a few days earlier.
With regular front-liner Jacob Duffy also away with the BLACKCAPS Test squad in India, the selectors brought two new faces into the squad, 19-year-old Zac Cumming ultimately carrying the drinks while ex-Wakatipu High, and current Otago A and Otago Country Hawke Cup rep Toby Hart made his Volts and List A debut.
The team's outstanding round one victory had seemed a long time ago.
The injury-hit team was stinging from three consecutive losses and, after Luke Georgeson elected to bat first against a strong Firebirds pace attack, the hosts weathered a tough top eight overs that produced just 11 runs - and cost them the wicket of Thorn Parkes.
So far, so good for the visitors.
Adam Milne | PHOTOSPORT
Adam Milne (3/34) and Liam Dudding with his subtle variations (3/50) were a testing combo for Wellington, but Dale Phillips held his ground and began to get some traction with a string of boundaries as he welcomed in the change bowlers.
Phillips remained until the 22nd over for his 45 but Nick Greenwood came into the attack and struck with his very first delivery.
Better known for his top-order batting in New Zealand at least, Greenwood would have a good day with the ball, going on to a haul of 4/28 - his best figures for the Firebirds, to go with a List A bag of five he'd taken for Jersey.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Phillips and Llew Johnson set a platform of 101/2 with their handy 90-run second-wicket stand and Johnson went on to top-score with 78 off 59 balls, after having added a 64-stand for the third with Dean Foxcroft.
PHOTOSPORT
He blitzed five sixes, along with his half dozen boundarie, to give the Volts' innings a timely push, ruining Dudding's figures in the process before the paceman had his revenge at 165/3, in the 29th over.
Regular wickets from there saw the Firebirds haul themselves back into the contest, the Volts finishing all out with three balls left in their innings.
The Firebirds would need less than a run a ball in reply, but pretty soon even that equation looked like it was going to be a challenge.
Captain Georgeson (4/38) opened the home attack with Jarrod McKay (2/29) and, by the end of their opening spells, the Firebirds were already in big trouble at 33/5 - in danger of setting unwanted records given 57 was their all-time lowest team tally in the recordbooks.
Georgeson had four of those wickets, and had put himself on an unconverted hat-trick in the 11th over with the wickets of Mo Abbas and Callum McLachlan.
It was a prime time to bring on a debutant, and first change Toby Hart's first over of Domestic cricket produced his maiden wicket as he got Troy Johnson caught behind off his fourth delivery.
It was a wicket maiden for the delighted rookie and now it was a scarcely believable 33/6 on the scoreboard. leaving experienced Logan van Beek and Peter Younghusband an enormous amount of work to do to salvage the capital's pride.
They worked side-by-side for the next dozen overs but just as they were starting to free their arms, the Volts did it again, McKay coming back on to almost immediately claim the wicket of Younghusband at 74/7.
The Firebirds would find themselves eight down before they'd even got three figures on the board, and luck was against them when Milne disastrously slipped over mid-pitch and found himself run out.
They were doomed as the thrilled Volts helped themselves to a bonus point victory, their campaign in much better shape now for the resumption of the competition on Waitangi Day 2025.
They had bowled out the Firebirds for 159 in the 40th over for a handsome 114-run bonus point victory.
