Dean Foxcroft goes big with maiden first-class century

DAY FOUR

Shortly after 3pm on the final afternoon, Dean Foxcroft raised his arms in relief and celebrated his maiden first-class century.

Getting there with a quick single off Nathan Smith, he'd finally gone past his previous career best of 93 for that special moment, as he continued to make up for lost time in all formats this season.

But the task for the Volts wasn't done.

The hosts needed a further 185 runs for victory at the time, at a tad over four per over, looking to chase down what would have been their third highest ever fourth innings total.

Helped by flat conditions in Dunedin's drought-like summer, the rate had been steady throughout the big chase but, six wickets down, Foxcroft and Max Chu still had a big job in front of them.

Earlier, a horrible muddle with Michael Rippon - followed by a sensational throw from debutant Muhammad Abbas - had cost him his sixth-wicket stand, and there was come making up to do.

Earlier, Glenn Phillips (47) had fallen just short of a half ton, caught by the safe hands of Peter Younghusband off Iain McPeake at 85/3.

With the Firebirds helping themselves to a few cheap wickets, the burden on Foxcroft to fight for his team was high.

But by tea, Foxcroft and Chu were still at their post, the Volts 254/6 and needing 164 runs from the last session, at just under RPO five.

Scampering for a second run, Foxcroft was involved in a second runout when Chu was run out on 39 - having to make a suicidal second run. It ended the patient 74-run stand in an unseemly hurry.

Travis Muller joined Foxcroft on 108* and, on the flat, fourth-day deck in the afternoon sunshine, helped pull the runs required down into double figures.

The Volts needed a further 100 runs off the last 17 regulation overs left in the game, after Foxcroft had apologised to his teammates with a barrage of boundaries, cracking past his 150.

But on 159, at 324/8, Foxcroft was third time unlucky as he became the next runout victim himself. His innings had spanned almost seven hours, but the Volts now required 94 further runs at more than run-a-ball with the late order exposed.

The required rate began to climb, and Otago's focus shift squarely to denying the frustrated Firebirds a further 12 points for an outright.

Jacob Duffy and Muller saw out the remainder of the match as the shadows lengthened into straws, the contest ending in a draw and the Volts' first-innings points enough to left them from the bottom rung of the ladder, for now.

DAY THREE

It was moving day and the upwardly mobile Wellington Firebirds did most of the heavy lifting, leaving the Otago Volts with a steep chase at University of Otago Oval.

The Volts will need 397 runs on the final day - new Firebirds captain Nick Kelly having declared the visitors' second innings at 336/7 to set them a target of 418.

Kelly contributed 64 of those Wellington runs himself, while the star was young opener Rachin Ravindra (118) with his sixth first-class century, four of which have been for the Firebirds in the Plunket Shield and the others for New Zealand A and Durham.

The Volts then suffered an early loss before stumps when captain Hamish Rutherford was bowled by Logan van Beek, and will resume at 21/1 on the last morning.

DAY TWO

The Wellington Firebirds ended the second day with a 108-run overall lead, after having dismissed the Volts in the space of 80 overs on the second day.

The Firebirds batsmen had bookended the day - the late order having added a further 100 runs to their overnight first-innings effort in the morning session (Jacob Duffy meanwhile the star of the home attack with a tidy four-fa), and the opening pair heading in at stumps on 27 for no loss in their second innings.

In between, the Wellington attack had dismissed the Volts for 287: a first innings deficit of 81 that, moreover, left plenty of time in the match for the Firebirds to take hold and stamp their authority.

Nathan Smith had backed up his solid first innings knock with a big quick blow with the ball, finding Dean Foxcroft's edge in just the third over.

He went on to a brace when he got the handy wicket of Glenn Phillips on 61 as well.

The elder Phillips had combined with younger brother Dale (above) in a 41-run stand for the fourth wicket, before Dale went on to top-score with 87.

Luke Georgeson trapped him at 287/9 after a lower order collapse from the hosts that left them short in good batting conditions.