With the win and other results going its way, Otago is now sitting in a playoff position, despite having won only the one game.
With three rounds to go, it is lying fourth in the ladder, though ahead of Wellington only on run rate.
As the score suggested, yesterday's game was a close-run thing. The Volts just did enough to win and were never home and hosed throughout the match.
They scored a hefty 298 for six wickets in their 50 overs, on the back of a Neil Broom century, and then managed to keep Northern at bay. Right up until the last few balls, it was in with a shot.
Led by Anton Devcich and Black Caps wicketkeeper BJ Watling, Northern looked to have paced its chase well and given its team a chance, no matter how slim.
But at the start of the penultimate over and with Northern needing 22 off the final 12 balls, Volts pace bowler Jacob Duffy struck, getting Watling out and then big-hitting batsman-keeper Tim Seifert on the very next ball.
Watling scored a half-century, playing as a batsman only, but could not quite get his side home.
Jono Boult and Brett Hampton tried to keep Northern in the game in the final balls but Neil Wagner bowled the final over and managed to stop it getting the 14 runs it needed to win the game.
Volts coach Nathan King said it was a close-run game but the side struck at opportune times.
‘‘We managed to take regular wickets right when they were set to take control of the game. We always had our nose in front,'' King said.
‘‘Our guys bowled really well at the death. Both Jacob and Neil bowled a really good couple of spells. At that stage of the game, it was really in the balance.''
Wagner has been on the wrong end of some hammerings in the one-day format over the years but is enjoying having a decent spell of bowling in 50-over matches.
King said the wicket was one that took a while to get used to but once batsmen were set, they could profit.
Broom batted very well, he said, and was ably supported by Anaru Kitchen.
The only concern for Otago was pace bowler Warren Barnes leaving the field near the end with a foot injury. It was a different injury from the one he picked up earlier in the season.
Otago had to rely on Broom and Mark Craig to get the side near 300.
Broom and Kitchen shared a second-wicket partnership of 121, which was a record for a second wicket against Northern Districts in a one-day game.
The duo just beat the record set by Mohammad Wasim and Chris Gaffaney, who tallied 119 against the side back in the 2003-04 season. Once Kitchen went, it appeared as though the Otago innings would once again falter.
Jimmy Neesham did not trouble the scorers and when Sam Wells and Derek de Boorder did not kick on, Otago looked to be in trouble in the dying overs.
But Craig came to the wicket at the start of the 44th over and proceeded to hit the ball to all corners of the ground.
He combined with Broom for a 76-run partnership at more than two runs a ball. The last over went for just four runs but the preceding three overs went for 42 runs.
Broom finished unbeaten on 124 off 128 balls, while Craig tallied 39 off just 20 balls. It was Broom's second one-day century of the season, having hit a hundred against Auckland in the first game of the season.
Otago plays Wellington on Wednesday in the capital. King said Neesham might bowl next Sunday at the University Oval in a rematch against Northern, while Nathan McCullum might also come back for that game.
In the other game played yesterday, Central Districts beat Wellington in Palmerston North. Central Districts made 324 for seven wickets in its 50 overs, with Jesse Ryder getting among the runs.
In reply, Wellington scored 141 for four wickets before rain forced the players off the field. The match was not started again and Wellington was deemed 51 runs short of where it should have been.
On Saturday, Canterbury stayed top of the table with a six-wicket win over Auckland at Eden Park, easily chasing down the target of 244 set by Auckland.
