DAY FOUR
Stumps update: match drawn
Doug Bracewell reached his half century in the morning session, boomed a six off Christi Viljoen to bring up the Stags' 250, then thundered another six off Anaru Kitchen next ball for good measure.
Batting partner Nav Patel continued his landmark feats in the game by reaching his highest first-class score, then followed up with a six of his own off the same Kitchen over to push himself to within four runs of a maiden half century: 46* off 66.
At drinks, Patel was still on the cusp at 47, Bracewell on 67 (three sixes now), for a smashing overall lead of 342.
Kitchen exacted revenge first ball after the break by getting Bracewell caught: 287/7, bringing Ajaz Patel to the middle as his namesake stood on the threshold of a second maiden milestone in the same match.
But Nav Patel would be out lbw next ball, and, before Kitchen could entertain thoughts of a hat-trick, the Stags promptly declared to set the Volts a stiff chase of 343 for victory.
Reaching 305/8 before time was called, the highlight for the Volts would be Ryan Duffy's maiden first-class hundred, and on his 25th birthday, completing a fine match for both the Southland brothers after younger bro Jacob's first innings five-for.
Ryan Duffy had been stranded on an unbeaten 90 in the Volts' previous round.
DAY THREE
Twenty-one-year-old seamer Navin Patel's debut season took another big leap forward with his maiden first-class five-wicket bag for the Devon Hotel Central Stags.
The deck having been sitting under covers for a day at University Oval, conditions were never going to be straightforward for the batsmen, and the SBS Bank Otago Volts duly collapsed against a bowling line-up with a spring in their step.
The ball swinging, the day began with Volts captain Brad Wilson edging Doug Bracewell, who followed up by ruining Anaru Kitchen's castle on 25.
And so it continued, until the Volts were in despair at 84/7.
Josh Finnie and accomplished Namibian Christi Viljoen ensured the tail wagged, however, to restore some pride.
Viljoen has a career best of 182 not out, a luxury for the Volts at nine in the order. He defied the conditions to thunder an impressive 48 from 50 balls before Ajaz Patel, the season's leading wicket-taker, trapped him lbw.
Finnie was not to be outdone, and would reach his half-century, likewise operating at a good clip as they put on a positive 104 for the eighth wicket.
All out for 198, it meant the Volts would finish just 60 behind the Stags on the first innings, nippy right-armer Patel having taken 5-72. It all put the prospect of an outright on the cards, despite an entire day lost to rain.
By stumps, the Stags had expanded their lead to 254, thanks largely to opener Greg Hay's 51 and to their young captain who coolly trucked up a good 83 — his eighth first-class 50 this season.
Bursting with talent, Young will no doubt be kicking himself for not having converted more of them in his first season in charge, but the 23-year-old's runs have had a habit of arriving at the right moment for the team, and ultimately leave the Stags well placed in the quest to avoid the wooden spoon against the bottom-placed Volts.
DAY TWO
Update: no play morning session, early lunch taken. Skies brightened, however play was eventually called off for the day that afternoon.
DAY ONE
Stumps score: SBS Bank Otago Volts 4/2 (Navin Patel 2-1). Earlier: Devon Hotel Central Stags 258 all out in 86.3 overs (Will Young 59, Dane Cleaver 93; Jacob Duffy 5-96) at University Oval, Dunedin on 24 March 2016.
The chat on the first morning at Uni Oval was no doubt the same as at the games further north: try to win us the toss, Skip.
The pitch was fresh and almost citrus green, an inviting picture to young paceman Jacob Duffy; and SBS Bank Otago Volts captain Brad Wilson did his duty by him.
The Devon Hotel Central Stags openers donned their armour and headed into the fray, on a morning that would be dominated by their hosts, and by Duffy especially.
At 69 for four, the significant wickets of Ben Smith (one of the season’s leading run-makers) and Tom Bruce (coming off a century, and here out for a second ball egg) were taken care of and 21-year-old Duffy had all four victims.
Better and better: Jacob Duffy inked in another five-for for the season. Photosport
Duffy would carry on to bag five for 96, earning his fouth five-wicket haul through his discipline, maximising the conditions, swinging the ball and tempting the edge.
Not for the first time in recent times, Stags called on captain Will Young and Dane Cleaver to combine and fight them out of a tight corner.
Together again. NZC
Young had made it to 23 when he was united with the always positive backstop Cleaver and together they added a valuable 89 for the fifth wicket.
Young would be the first to fall, on 59, but Cleaver survived an early scare or two to hold on until near the end, when he was run out just seven runs shy of what would have been his second first-class century, and second this season.
By then the Volts had made deep inroads, Christi de Viljoen getting a brace of Patels caught behind and Duffy picking up number five courtesy of the number eleven as the Stags scrapped their way to 258 all out.
But if it had seemed a tough day at the office, there was to be a pleasant end to it for the visitors as their seven-over crack at the Volts before stumps delivered two quick wickets in return.
The Volts were 4/2 heading into day two, having lost opener Ryan Duffy and nightwatchman Craig Smith. Unfortunately they had also lost disappointed left-arm paceman Blair Soper during the course of the day to a hamstring strain — pulling up lame after 7.3 overs in his first match back in two years.
Stags attack weapon Nav Patel ended the day with two for one off his three quick overs.
