2024/25
ROUND SEVEN
OTAGO VOLTS drew with AUCKLAND ACES
University of Otago Oval, Dunedin
21-24 March 2025
POINTS IN THIS ROUND:
Otago Volts: 7
Auckland Aces: 4
Wellington Firebirds: 4
Northern Districts: 16
Canterbury: 20
Central Stags: 4
SELECTED MILESTONES
Jacob Cumming: 1,000 first-class runs
Sid Dixit: maiden first-class wicket
SNAPSHOT:
Keen for their second consecutive victory - a rare occurence for the Dunedin home side, the Otago Volts continued to play to win.
However, despite adept declarations, a day of wet weather ultimately cost valuable time in a match that ended with the Aces' fourth drawn match from seven rounds.
Both sides, along with the Central Stags, would be formally bumped out of contention after this penultimate round, the Aces languishing at the foot of the ladder on 47 points, and the Volts in fifth spot on 51, both teams with only one outright.
DAY ONE
After a 45-minute ground delay, Volts captain Dean Foxcroft won the toss and batted on a sunny morning, with the hosts getting a good start at Uni Oval despite the early loss of Dale Phillips who nicked off at 10/1 to Matt Gibson.
Surviving opener Jacob Cumming recombined with Jamal Todd and the pair crafted a century stand for the second wicket to give Foxcroft the early impetus he had hoped for.
Todd reached his half century just before lunch while Cumming was poised on 49, but Danru Ferns's bounce would remove both of them for no addition to their scores in the first few overs after lunch.
Cumming's wicket was a spectacular one, a skied, near-vertical edge that had fielders running in from all directions at the batter, with everyone somehow managing to avoid calamity and Sid Dixit winning the race to pouch the opportunity at 130/3.
Foxcroft and Thorn Parkes made a start on the next partnership, but Parkes would cycle through a string of partners as he picked his way to the Volts' top score of 97.
It was the Aces' session, six wickets falling to have the home team 227/7 by tea.
Parkes had just reached his half century by then, and no doubt needed to touch wood.
The Auckland spinners has prospered, Adi Ashok picking up both Brad Kneebone and young Tom O'Connor for quick ducks.
But Matt Bacon gave Parkes the support he needed in the last session to almost reach a century.
Top-scoring was bittersweet, of course, that hollow feeling of missing out on three figures by just a stroke, as he became left-arm spinner Sid Dixit's maiden first-class wicket.
Parkes had hit 13 boundaries on the way to his 97 but now he was heading back in at 286/8 after a fatal attempted reverse sweep.
Bacon carried on to an unbeaten 37* before Foxcroft declared nine down shortly after they had pocketed the third batting bonus at 306/9, while the Aces had recovered nicely with the ball to snaffle the full set of four bowling bonuses.
By stumps, the Aucklanders were 10/1 in reply, having lost Lachie Stackpole who got castled by an Andrew Hazeldine beauty.
DAY TWO
Nightwatchman Louis Delport began the day with opener Will O'Donnell but at 31/2 was soon on his way after trying unwisely, as it soon turned out, to lash out at Bacon in the fresh morning.
Dixit joined O'Donnell and the pair settled things down for the next 14 or so overs, seeing off the opening pacemen before picking some runs off the change bowlers for a hard-earned 26-run stand.
Dixit's dismissal, caught off the rapidly improving Jarrod McKay on 25, brought another relatively inexperienced player in Nathan Robinson to the middle, before lunch, in just his second appearance.
Robinson was the next to depart at 108/4 after losing his balance as he went to sweep Foxcroft on 22. Things were falling apart for the Aces and the situation worsened a few overs later in the Otago captain's spell when he took care of O'Donnell - who's reached 58 - and the experienced fighter Cam Fletcher in consecutive deliveries.
The Aces were now suddenly 135/6 and the Volts had all the momentum in the middle session, during which they would take a further wicket to have their visitors 153/7 by tea.
Foxcroft finished with a handy 4/51 as the Aces were dismissed for 190, conceding a 116-run first innings lead to the Volts. By stumps, the hosts were 42/1 after having lost Cumming early.
DAY THREE
It was here that wet weather had an impact on a promising match, the teams forced to take an early lunch and ultimately no play possible at all during "moving day".
DAY FOUR
Foxcroft had taken another two wickets to follow up the cracking 37 off 29 balls that helped his team get the quick runs they had sought earlier in the day. His teammates got the memo and, but for Fletcher, might well have been singing that rarely heard song once more in the sheds.
Although out of contention, the Volts could yet have a major say in the destination of the Plunket Shield thise season, set to host new leader and frontrunner Northern Districts in the final round, at the same ground.
Chasers Canterbury and the Wellington Firebirds - who have just lost two key players to the BLACKCAPS - will meanwhile be rooting for the Volts all the way as they look for their last chance to win the Plunket Shield, at the Cello Basin Reserve from Saturday.
