Llew Johnson swatted a maiden century.
Jake Gibson tonked an undefeated 51 off 22 balls.
And they almost pulled off what would have been one of Otago’s highest successful chases.
Two more runs would have done it.
Canterbury smoked 322 for seven at the University Oval yesterday.
Scott Janett clubbed 115 from 115 balls in his list A debut, and Mitch Hay (56 off 42) and the captain Cole McConchie (48 not out off 33) made valuable contributions as well.
But Otago was not put off by the chunky chase.
Opener Jamal Todd smashed 56 and Johnson — who was too disappointed to talk to the Otago Daily Times after the game — posted 115 from 118 balls.
Gibson smashed five fours and three sixes in a whirlwind knock which promised to carry his side to victory.
But the game was decided in the last over.
Otago needed 12 to win, and Johnson whacked a six over mid-wicket to put his side in the box seat.
But he holed out with victory in sight. The Volts needed three to win from the final two balls.
The new man in, Ben Lockrose, clubbed the next ball straight to Matt Boyle.
Zak Foulkes was on a hat-trick, and Andrew Hazeldine walked out to bat needing three to win from one ball.
Foulkes speared the ball in at his pads and Otago ran through for a leg bye to lose by one run.
Volts captain Max Chu said Johnson had played the innings "we all knew he could play".
"It is just a real shame it wasn’t a match-winning one. But kudos to him, he works so hard on his game and is an awesome ball-striker.
"Whether you lose by one or 200, you learn from it. But I think that one will hurt us because we got so close and we had so many meaningful contributions."
It could have played out very differently for Canterbury.
Both openers had an early scare.
Rhys Mariu got an edge which wrong-footed the keeper Chu, whose diving effort was not enough.
Janett carved an inside edge past leg stump as well.
The conditions offered the bowlers plenty.
But several reasonably close lbw calls were turned down and another appeal for caught behind was met with a shake of the head.
The net result was the opening pair pressed on and on, adding 124.
Janett nudged the ball into the leg side to bring up his ton.
His celebration was rather muted. The 20-year-old just removed his helmet and nodded in the direction of the player’s observation area.
The right-hander made his first-class debut in November and was trapped lbw for 93.
If he was nervous in the 90s, it did not show.
Hay sent the ball flying out of the ground on his way to a rapid half-century.
McConchie chipped in with some classy shots.
The Volts lost opener Dale Phillips early. Fraser Sheat (three for 49) found a way through his defence.
But Todd got set at the other end, and he can be enormously destructive when he gets in the mood.
He slapped Ish Sodhi for three consecutive boundaries to bring up his half-century.
The required run rate was climbing into the too-hard basket, though.
Leo Carter (42) took up the challenge and lofted Michael Rippon for two fours and a six.
Johnson sent several sixes to the embankment at mid-wicket as he lifted the tempo as well.
The charge was on and it was very nearly successful.
Regular assistant Ben McCord was on leave, so former Black Caps and Otago Volts coach Mike Hesson was called in to help out the Volts for the match.
Hesson was not available for comment.
In the other two games, Wellington prevailed by four wickets against Northern Districts at the Basin Reserve, and Central Districts beat Auckland by six wickets at Eden Park Outer Oval. Tom Bruce smacked 139 to lead the Stags to glory.
Ford Trophy
Canterbury
R Mariu lbw Lockrose 44
S Janett c Gibson b Foxcroft 115
M Boyle c Chu b Bacon 32
M Hay c Clarke b Bacon 56
C McConchie not out 48
M Rippon c Todd b Bacon 0
A McKenzie b Hazeldine 0
Z Foulkes c Todd b Bacon 7
I Sodhi not out 7
Extras (3lb, 9w, 1nb)13
Total (for 7 wkts, 50 overs):322
Fall: 1-124, 2-180, 3-218, 4-278, 5-280, 6-281, 7-299.
Bowling: M Clarke 6-0-28-0 (3w), A Hazeldine 10-0-81-1 (3w, 1nb), M Bacon 9-0-60-4 (1w), J Gibson 7-0-39-0, B Lockrose 9-0-62-1, D Foxcroft 9-0-49-1 (1w).
Otago
D Phillips b Sheat 10
J Todd c Hay b Rae 56
L Johnson c Boyle b Foulkes 115
D Foxcroft b McKenzie 27
L Carter c Rippon b Sheat 42
M Chu c&b Sheat 9
J Gibson not out 51
B Lockrose c Boyle b Foulkes 0
A Hazeldine not out 0
Extras (6lb, 5w) 11
Total (for 7 wkts, 50 overs): 321
Fall: 1-14, 2-84, 3-140, 4-218, 5-230, 6-320, 7-320.
Bowling: F Sheat ,9-0-49-3, Z Foulkes 10-1-68-2 (2w), A McKenzie 9-0-59-1, M Rae 10-1-55-1 (3w), I Sodhi 5-0-34-0, C McConchie 3-0-22-0, M Rippon 4-0-28-0.
Result: Canterbury won by one run.
