The Volts beat the Highveld Lions in a thriller yesterday - thanks to a standout effort from all-rounder Jimmy Neesham - and just need a solid effort in their final pool game to make the semifinals.
The match against the Lions went right down to the wire. The scores were tied at the end of the match, and again at the finish of the ''super over'', but Otago won the game as it scored more boundaries.
The Volts racked up their 15th straight twenty20 win, and are now sitting pretty to make the final four. Otago is on 10 points and sits in second place in the group behind the Rajasthan Royals, who have already qualified.
The Volts play the Royals early tomorrow and will qualify for the semifinals with a win or a narrow loss.
The Mumbai Indians could sneak in front of the Volts but they would need a massive win over the Perth Scorchers, and for the Volts to suffer a huge loss.
Johnson is not counting his chickens yet, saying his side just wanted to back its abilities and take each game as it comes.
''When we came into this tournament our first challenge was to qualify. We did that three-zip. Then it was to win a game in the main event. We have now won two,'' he said.
''If we [win the next game] we are in the semis. It is huge for Dunedin, huge for Otago and huge for us.''
Johnson said the close win came down to a fine individual effort from Neesham.
''I was not particularly happy with the way we played. I thought we were a little bit loose in the field. Our length was a little bit two lengths.
''The way Neesh [Neesham] played with the bat, we knew we would be in there because of the kid he is. This kid will play a lot of international cricket.''
The Lions had scored 167 thanks to a powerful 109 from young opener Quinton de Kock.
Blessed with a strong bowling line-up, the Lions kept the Volts pinned down and they looked in plenty of trouble when Neesham came to the wicket at the end of the 13th over, with 70 runs still needed.
But Neesham hit the ball all over the park, tallying a quickfire 52 from 25 balls, and Otago reached the last over with 11 runs needed.
The Volts could only get 10 runs, leading to the super over.
Neesham was the man of the moment as he and Brendon McCullum combined to score 13, with McCullum hitting a six off the last ball of Sohail Tanveer's over.
Neesham conceded 10 to de Kock in his first two balls but held the Lions to just three off the remaining four balls. With scores still tied, Otago was awarded the win for hitting 19 boundaries to Highveld's 18.
Neesham said a batting plan ended up working.
''We knew we were in trouble when I came in but we just decided, the guys who I were batting with, to just turn the strike over. We knew it was a good deck for batting. We knew if we got in and started hitting it would be pretty hard to stop,'' he said.
''We just wanted to make a game of it and bring it down to the last couple of overs.''
Neesham said McCullum wanted him to bowl the super over as it appeared to be ''my night''.
In the other game yesterday, the Rajasthan Royals breezed into the semifinals with a nine-wicket win over the Perth Scorchers.
The result knocked the Scorchers out of contention for the semifinals, meaning no Australian sides remain in the hunt.
With only 121 to chase down, Sanju Samson and Ajinkya Rahane stroked attractive half-centuries to remain unbeaten at the close.
