ROUND TWO OF EIGHT
NORTHERN DISTRICTS drew with the OTAGO VOLTS
Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui
26-29 October, 2022
Toss: Volts who bowled
First innings bonus points:
ND 6, Volts 6
Total points this round: Northern Districts 6, Otago Volts 6
Selected Milestones
Jacob Duffy - 11th first-class bag (10th for Otago Volts)
Henry Cooper - seventh first-class century
Dean Foxcroft - career best score (97)
Thorn Parkes - career best score (96)
DAY FOUR
The only match of the second round to go the distance began on a warm, overcast morning at Bay Oval with hosts Northern Districts inching into the lead soon on the last day.
Honours were with Otago in the first session, however.
Before lunch, ND lost the valuable wickets of first-innings centurion Henry Cooper, and then Tim Seifert for just a start, heading in at 123/4 for a modest lead of 49 - with tension, as well as the humidity, now in the air.
With Cooper's dismissal, Duffy now had nine wickets for the match as he continued his outstanding start to the summer, and he was still hungry after lunch. But it was the turn of the star slow bowler, Michael Rippon, to make all the moves.
The loss of captain Joe Carter to Rippon in the middle session on 37 was a big blow to ND's hopes, the lead still in just double figures.
Rippon then went to town on the lower order, ripping out another victim before tea, and going on to pocket two more just after the break.
In the meantime, ND's Colin de Grandhomme had been doing Colin de Grandhomme things again, whacking a quick 84 off just 98 balls. That included three consecutive sixes off Rippon, giving his team's lead some subtance in the short time that would remain.
Travis Muller yorked him, but by then he had got ND out of a tricky spot.
At nine down, with the clock running out for the Volts to get a result - and with fading light in the overcast conditions, the teams shook hands.
The Volts had lost a shot at a second consecutive outright, which would have been their best start to a summer in a very long time. But a draw it would be. Even that was enough to see the Volts join Canterbury and the Firebirds on 24 points at the top of the table as a balm to their disappointment.
DAY THREE
The Volts continued their good start in attempting to knock off Northern Districts' solid first-innings total of 355.
Overnight batsman Dean Foxcroft looked all class as he threatened to finally post a maiden first-class century to go with his white-ball tons.
But on 93, it was the class of another South African-turned-Kiwi cricketer, Neil Wagner (4-67), that stopped his innings, after almost four good hours.
Wagner caught a thick inside edge as Foxcroft played on, to his dismay, at 212/4.
Youngster Thorn Parkes was also in the runs. He'd come in to join Foxcroft at 36/3 on the previous afternoon and, in just his third first-class match, would also go on to post a career-best score, in a patient knock.
Parkes batted for almost six hours in total for his 96, and yet would also be cruelly denied a maiden century when Joe Walker enticed a miscue at 308/7.
The Volts weren't done, however. Travis Muller (50) and Jacob Duffy (70) again stood up in the tail to show that the Otago men bat deep this summer.
It made for a long afternoon for the home bowlers, especially when Michael Rae came in at 10 and added another 36 himself.
Finally ND managed to get the visitors all out, leaving 17 overs in the day to make a start on their second innings.
DAY TWO
The overnight pair of Kristian Clarke and Neil Wagner kept the runs ticking over in the morning before the Volts took the new ball, just after ND had reached 305/7.
The gallant young Clarke (52 off 55) went on to a half century in an 86-run lower order stand with Neil Wagner.
Wagner carried on for 41 off 63 and had looked set to join him before being caught behind off Michael Rippon.
Together with a late flourish from Joe Walker, they had ensured that the hosts had put a total on the board, despite Jacob Duffy going on a seven-wicket rampage - his second bag in as many matches, off to a flier in 2022/23.
By stumps, the Volts's top order had reached 190/3 in reply, the visitors trailing by 165 with Dean Foxcroft enjoying his long awaited return to New Zealand soil, unbeaten overnight on 76*.
DAY ONE
After an early hold-up for damp conditions - never something to trouble a pace bowler, Jacob Duffy continued his electric start to the season with his second five-wicket-bag in the space of two matches, ending Day One with figures of 5-81 - and the potential to add to it - after ripping through Northern Districts' middle order.
Duffy had also put a stop to an explosive, 32-ball half century from Colin de Grandhomme at 230/5.
ND's opening bat Henry Cooper meanwhile remained at his post as he continued his good early season form.
He would take his score to 112 (15x4, 1x6), a long day's concentration before falling in the final session to Travis Muller.
As bad light came into play, Northern ended the day at 246/7 in the first innings, needing just four more runs for a second batting bonus point.
Kristian Clarke and Neil Wagner would be the pair to resume, both on 2* overnight.
