Really big.
If the thunder and hail which is forecast stays away, the Volts have a slim shot at making history.
Canterbury has dominated the first three days of the match and set Otago an enormous chase of 471.
Otago’s previous highest successful fourth-innings chase was against Canterbury in Dunedin nine years ago.
The Volts posted 381 for three to win by seven wickets. Otago selector Sam Wells scored an unbeaten century and took five for 74.
Otago will need someone to put in a performance of similar class if it is going to go close .
The Volts had reached 145 for two at stumps and they trail by 326. That is, well, heaps.
But Glenn Phillips is nicely set on 66 and opener Thorn Parkes there with him on 53.
They have put on 110 and will need to keep building. And who knows.
Canterbury, though, will fancy taking the eight wickets it needs to wrap up an outright victory and extend its lead at the top of the competition standings.
The visiting side resumed on 43 for one and with an overall lead of 236.
The question doing the rounds was how long it would bat and what target it would set.
Batting was very easy-going, so it was always going to be an intimidating total.
It settled on a very safe target and deserved that comfort.
Canterbury had outplayed the Volts across the opening two days and day three was no exception.
Mitch Hay and Cole McConchie put on a stand of 173 from 212 balls for the second wicket.
That partnership was broken only by a simply miraculous catch by Phillips.
Hay was closing in on his maiden first-class century and looked to raise the milestone in style.
He advanced on a delivery from Phillips and leathered it towards the long-on boundary.
Any other player would have taken cover or at least flinched. Not Phillips. His instinct was to dive to his right and thrust out a hopeful mitt.
It stuck, much to the horror of Hay, who had to go for 98.
Phillips also nabbed the wicket of McConchie for 83. This time it was Travis Muller tearing around the boundary and snatching a pretty good catch as well.
Leo Carter (44 not out) and Cameron Fletcher (38 not out) came out after lunch and clubbed another 67 runs from seven overs. Ouch.
Canterbury declared at 277 for three.
Otago wrist spinner Michael Rippon will look back at his bowling in this game with no love. He finished with match figures of none for 79 from nine overs.
There was a lot of excitement in the other two games.
Wellington was set 385 to win by Auckland at Colin Maiden Park and a monster 221-run partnership between Nick Kelly (110) and Muhammad Abbas (130) got the Firebirds most of the way.
The chase fell apart, though. Twenty-year-old Adithya Ashok (five for 94) nabbed a couple of quick wickets, which forced Wellington (299 for eight) to switch tactics and bat the game out for a draw.
Central Districts was chasing a chunky target of 463 against Northern Districts at the Bay Oval and went for it as well.
Greg Hay stroked 150 in a marathon stay at the crease, and Tom Bruce’s knock of 161 threatened to carry his side to victory.
But Mitchell Santner (three for 102) and Tim Pringle (three for 92) levered out the final wickets to help dismiss the visitors for 427 and secure a tense 35-run win.
Canterbury
First innings 449/9 dec
Otago
First innings 256
Canterbury
Second innings
R Mariu c D Phillips b Muller 5
M Hay c & b G Phillips 98
C McConchie c Muller b G Phillips 83
L Carter not out 44
C Fletcher not out 38
Extras (2b, 2lb, 5w) 9
Total (3 wickets dec, 56 overs) 277
Fall: 1-9, 2-182, 3-209.
Bowling: J Duffy 12-2-34-0 (2w), T Muller 9-0-39-1 (1w), J Gibson 8-0-45-0, J McKay 9-3-38-0 (1w), G Phillips 13-0-72-2 (1w), M Rippon 5-0-45-0.
Otago
Second innings
H Rutherford lbw b Shipley 8
T Parkes not out 53
D Foxcroft c Sheat b McKenzie 15
G Phillips not out 66
Extras (1w, 2nb) 3
Total (2 wickets, 55 overs) 145
Fall: 1-14, 2-35.
Bowling: H Shipley 12-1-28-1, F Sheat 6-1-17-0, A McKenzie 13-7-23-1, W O'Rourke 10-2-27-0 (1w), E Nuttall 4-0-28-0 (1nb), I Sodhi 9-1-22-0 (1nb), C McConchie 1-1-0-0.
