An assured innings from former test batsman Craig Cumming shored up a shaky start from State Otago Volts in their State Championship match against State Northern Knights in Dunedin.
Chasing the Knights’ first innings 275, the Volts finished the rain-interrupted second day on 116-2, with Cumming's solid 69 not out providing the backbone of the innings.
The former BLACKCAP, who struck nine boundaries, took 148 balls for his total with his 50 coming up in 150 minutes off 100 balls.
Otago didn't make the best of starts to their chase, losing their first wicket with just three runs on the board.
Hamish Rutherford, 18, son of former BLACKCAPS captain Ken Rutherford and a New Zealand under-19 representative, lasted just one ball before he was dispatched by rookie pace bowler Trent Boult without scoring.
Cumming and Greg Todd put on 69 for the second wicket, before Todd dragged a ball from Boult onto the stumps.
Neil Broom's pedestrian four came off 71 balls, but helped leave Otago in a useful position with two days to play.
Northern resumed today on 223-7, with Graeme Aldridge adding just three runs to his overnight score before being run out for 21.
Bradley Scott, not out on five overnight, and Brent Arnel put on 42 runs for the ninth wicket before Arnel was bowled by Mathew Harvie for 18 with the score on 269.
Scott and last man in, Boult, added six runs before Scott became Nathan McCullum's third scalp of the innings, bowled for 29 off 118 balls and leaving Northern all out for 275.
McCullum returned the best figures of the innings with 3-46 off 28.3 overs, with Ian Butler and Neil Wagner taking two apiece.
