The Otago Volts remain alive after winning today's second preliminary final at Queenstown over Northern Knights by nine runs (D/L) after a contest of wildly fluctuating fortunes featuring rain and a head-turning, matchwinning partnership.
An outstanding, unbroken partnership of 165 off 166 balls between Darren Broom and Derek de Boorder highlighted a fiercely competitive game at Queenstown's Events Centre where Otago faced a reduced target after rain intervened.
After the visitors made a competitive 271 for eight, Otago were out for the count at 80 for five. Enter the day's heroes, Broom and de Boorder, who ended not out on 83 and 74, respectively as they passed the revised challenge of 236 in 46 overs.
The game ebbed and flowed from the outset, with Northern in some bother at 125 for five after choosing to bat first before the lower order came to the rescue once opener BJ Watling had hit 55 in two hours.
Anton Devcich smacked a sprightly 42 off just 21 balls at the end while Joseph Yovich and wicketkeeper Peter McGlashan both posted 39 as Northern Districts controlled the latter stages of their innings.
Otago's chase then struck an immediate road bump with both opener Aaron Redmond and teenager Michael Bracewell back in the pavilion before the end of the fourth over.
It was all uphill from there for Otago, who tripped over before they were taken over the line by Broom and de Boorder.
Both were in full flight, with Broom on 54 and de Boorder 42 when their momentum was halted by a rain break, but they picked up the pace again after the restart to advance the score to 245 for five.
NZPA
