Otago have sent long-serving batsman Craig Cumming off in style today, beating Wellington by an innings and 64 runs to end their Plunket Shield campaign with a win in the opener's final game for the province.
Otago had to work to finish off the visitors at the University Oval, but were in such a commanding position a win was almost a certainty.
Wellington resumed on 207 for six, with Luke Woodcock on 22 and Harry Boam on 20, needing a further 200 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
Boam added just a couple before he was out, edging Jimmy Neeshman to wicketkeeper Derek de Boorder, but Woodcock made his way through to a half-century and received good support from Jeetan Patel (28) as they held up the Volts' push for victory.
Tyro Otago quick Jacob Duffy accounted for Woodcock, also caught by de Boorder, for 56, and the Otago skipper pouched yet another catch, off first innings hero Neil Wagner, to remove Patel.
Scott Kuggeleijn and Andy McKay then combined to stall the inevitable, swinging merrily to frustrate the home side's bowlers, although Otago didn't help their cause, making several errors in the field as they failed to land the killer blow.
Kuggeleijn was eventually dismissed caught and bowled by Nathan McCullum for 36. McKay finished unbeaten on 34.
McCullum was the best of the Volts bowlers, with 4 for 85, while Wagner took a couple to back up his seven in the first innings. Neesham also grabbed two.
The win is just Otago's second of the competition, and before this match they were bottom of the points table.
Cumming, who bowled a few overs this morning, is hanging up his batting gloves after 12 years with the province. He replaced left-hand great Bert Sutcliffe as Otago's leading century-maker last season and overtook him as the leading run-scorer this season.
