The Volts recorded their first twenty20 win of the season yesterday in Christchurch but it could not have been any closer.
The side beat Canterbury by one run, with overseas import Dirk Nannes keeping calm to bowl the decisive last over.
Canterbury needed nine runs to win the match going into the final over, but it came up two runs short with Nannes grabbing a crucial wicket with the penultimate ball of the game.
Canterbury top scorer Henry Nicholls (56) was caught by Aaron Redmond and wicketkeeper Cameron Fletcher could only manage a single off the final ball, run out by a long distance when going for the tying run.
Otago coach Dimitri Mascarenhas said it was a close run thing and the victory was built on a phenomenal batting effort from captain Ryan ten Doeschate and a desperate effort in the field.
''After batting I knew we were short. We just had to leave it all out there. We had to give it our all as we had nothing to lose,'' he said.
''That is exactly what we did. We threw ourselves round in the field. Iain Roberston took a great catch and we managed to take crucial wickets at crucial times.''
Mascarenhas praised the performance of Nannes, who he said did what he was paid for, and also said James McMillan had bowled well in the penultimate over.
Otago needs to make the top three to qualify for the finals and will realistically need to win its final four games and hope results go its way.
Mascarenhas said the side was not far away in most of its five losses to start the season.
''We've had four last over games and managed to win one. There are just small things that we need to get right. Our top four have to go on. Someone there has to get an 80 and if they do, we will win the game. Our bowlers are starting to show form and delivering some good stuff.''
The side will have to do without another couple of key players as New Zealand A heads off on tour but Mascarenhas said that just gives an opportunity to someone else, who had ''nothing to lose.''
The side was forced to play without Jesse Ryder, who withdrew for personal reasons early yesterday.
Otago, as it has with the bat all season, never really got going, and looked to not have scored enough runs to be competitive. It ended on 143 for seven after its 20 overs, and lost wickets at regular intervals.
Robertson was out first ball when he opened the innings in place of Ryder.
Derek de Boorder also fell cheaply and Otago struggled to get anything going with Black Caps paceman Matt Henry bowling well.
Michael Bracewell hit a solid 32 at a run a ball but he was out caught behind when he needed to go on.
Captain ten Doeschate played some big shots to give the Otago innings some respectability, hitting a breezy 63 from just 36 balls, scoring 36 runs in boundaries.
He scored 20 runs off the 18th over to get Otago - in what in the end was just - a defendable target.
In the early game played yesterday, the Wellington Firebirds easily disposed of Central Districts by eight wickets at Eden Park.
In the second game at Eden Park, the Northern Knights beat Auckland by 11 runs. The two games scheduled for Auckland on Saturday were rained out.
