DAY FOUR
Watch 17-year-old school pupil Nathan Smith make a successful debut for the SBS Bank Otago Volts:
The Volts were consigned to last place in the 2015/16 Plunket Shield as their dead rubber with the SKYCITY Northern Knights dwindled to a draw.
The match was called at tea, the Volts having trundled from 55/2 to 172/3 before the captains agreed on a stalemate.
First innings centurion Brad Wilson, earthy captain of the Volts, finished the season unbeaten on 62. It cemented him as the third-highest run-scorer of the season — with a tally off 886 just 31 behind Stags opener Ben Smith.
His opponents the Knights took fourth spot on the ladder for 2015/16, Bharat Popli finishing top of the batting stakes with 1,149 runs for the season, at an average of 67.58 after an impressive three centuries and seven half centuries from his 10 matches.
Popli, Smith (average: 61.13) and Wilson (46.63, and with six half centuries as well) had all produced three centuries in the season, as did Jeet Raval (Aces), Daniel Flynn (Knights) and George Worker (Stags).
DAY THREE
BJ Watling continued his overnight success to reach his career best first-class score as he helped shape an imposing position for the SKYCITY Northern Knights in Whangarei.
Watling's 176 overtook a previous personal best of 164, his 14th first-class ton and his ninth for his domestic team.
The BLACKCAP, playing solely as a top order batsman for the Knights, included 18 fours and a six in his 472-minute stay.
The Knights were later to declare at 431/9 after wicketkeeper Tim Seifert added 65 off 95 balls (five fours and two sixes).
It was a day of little joy for the visiting Volts, but they could take heart in debutant 17-year-old high school student Nathan Smith taking his maiden wicket on his way to 3-80 off 27 overs.
By stumps the Volts were 55/2 in their second innings, trailing by 78 runs heading into the day of what has been a difficult season for the cellar dwellers of the Plunket Shield.
DAY TWO
Stumps update: SKYCITY Northern Knights 251/3 (Bharat Popli 89, BJ Watling 113 not out) trailing by 47 in the first innings.
Lunch update: SKYCITY Northern Knights 67/2. Earlier: Jimmy Baker 5-63 and Scott Kuggeleijn 3-75 as SBS Bank Otago Volts dismissed for 298.
Bharat Popli has just passed Jeff Crowe for the 3rd most runs in a #PlunketShield season. Only Graeme Hick and Martin Crowe with more.
— Northern Knights (@ndcaknights) March 30, 2016
Overnight centurion BJ Watling and the season's leading runscorer Bharat Popli combined to add 199 for the third wicket for the SKYCITY Northern Knights, the highlight on day two at Cobham Oval.
They had conspired to make it a tough day for the SBS Bank Otago Volts, who had earlier watched their good position ebb away against the Knights by losing their last five wickets for just 13 runs in seven overs as James Baker (5-63) and Scott Kuggeleijn wrapped up their innings for 298.
Volts captain Brad Wilson was able to add only three to his overnight tally of 123, before the Knights rubbed salt into the wound by turning on a solid effort with the bat, Popli cruising to his seventh half century of a record-breaking season.
His typically patient 89 from 216 balls saw him overtake Jeff Crowe to become the third highest accumulator in a domestic first-class season, but was caught at the wicket off Jimmy Neesham to break his powerful 199-run stand with Watling.
DAY ONE
Stumps score: SBS Bank Otago Volts 285/5 in 96 overs (Brad Wilson 123 not out, Jimmy Neesham 35, Josh Finnie 32 not out; Jimmy Baker 3-56) at Cobham Oval, 30 March 2016
In Napier, ex-Stag Jeet Raval was scoring a century against his old team for the Aces. In Whangarei, ex-Knights captain Brad Wilson was giving his former side the same treatment — now as stand-in skipper of the SBS Bank Otago Volts.
Brad Wilson in his former life as a Knight, now turning the tables. PHOTOSPORT
Opener Wilson was undefeated on 123 at stumps on day one at Cobham Oval: his third Plunket Shield ton of the season, and 11th first-class century overall, on what used to be his home turf.
He broke out the 100 in style, with a boundary off Joe Walker.
It was a classic Wilson innings: solid, unflashy, patient (the century took 232 balls, five hours) and better than any photograph will tell.
He got his team through to 285 for five by stumps, making the Knights work all the way.
It was an important knock for the visiting Volts, given a touch of top order vulnerability, particularly with run machine Neil Broom out injured.
Coming off his own maiden hundred, Ryan Duffy was a touch unlucky be caught off a legside glance on 18 — the first of what would become a five-wicket haul the following day for Knights seamer Jimmy Baker, who would also have his 100th first-class wicket by the end of day one.
Jimmy Neesham’s 35 showed promise, but he was caught skying the ball after trying to target Tony Goodin; then Derek de Boorder became Baker’s 100th victim, trapped on 11 by a Baker special.
Young Josh Finnie headed out to help Wilson peg things down at the crease and by stumps had added a useful 32, Wilson meanwhile needing just a further eight runs from day two to reach 5000 first-class runs.
Baker sat on three for 56 at stumps.
Earlier, the day had started with the Volts winning the toss and selecting Nathan Smith in their playing XI, the 17-year-old Waitaki Boys’ High School student and NZ Under-19s rep making his first-class debut in this match.
