But there was also some disciplined bowling from Otago.
The Volts rolled Northern Districts for a paltry tally of 117 and were 200 for five at stumps on day 1 of the Plunket Shield fixture at the University Oval.
Workaholic seamer Jacob Duffy did the bulk of the damage up top.
Experienced Northern Districts opener Jeet Raval gifted Duffy his wicket early. He clipped it straight to Jamal Todd.
If that was not firmly in the naughty category, it certainly qualified as impatient. It was just his second ball.
Henry Cooper nicked off for 10 and Duffy had another when Joe Carter (3) edged to third slip.
The visitors had slumped to 35 for three and the morning session continued to unravel.
Tim Seifert played a half-hearted drive which Llew Johnson pocketed.
Bharat Popli had got set on a pitch which was nipping about as much as you might expect on the opening day of a four-dayer.
But he could not help climbing into a pull shot and picked out Johnson at deep square leg.
It was not a particularly judicious shot and he was off to the naughty step.
Katene Clarke was brilliantly run out by Jarrod McKay to add another layer of agony.
He took off in an attempt to steal a single, but had to back up the ship. He might have made his ground except he took minor evasive action and was run out.
Scott Kuggeleijn (36) and Brett Hampton (22) put on 43 for the seventh wicket to get the Northern through to lunch at 116 for six.
But neither could get reset.
Luke Georgeson made a double breakthrough first over back. Hampton got an edge and Neil Wagner went the very next ball.
Stand-in skipper Max Chu made a nice diving catch to his left.
Georgeson (4/33) picked up a fourth to claim his best first-class figures.
Northern’s demise had really accelerated.
Otago had been forced into a late change to its lineup.
Captain Dean Foxcroft suddenly went on paternity leave. His wife Reandi gave birth to the couple’s first child earlier than expected.
That meant Jacob Cumming was recalled from Otago A duty.
The Volts rejigged their batting lineup further.
Georgeson, who has opened, dropped down to No 5, while Jamal Todd was promoted and opened alongside Cumming.
Otago did not find batting that easy either. Cumming (14) and Todd (13) nicked off and Thorn Parkes (11) and Georgeson (18) settled but could not go on.
But Dale Phillips, fresh from 85 in his last knock, was finding the middle of the bat rather than the edge and blasted a series of boundaries on his way to a 53-ball half-century.
He struck the ball down the ground and guided it to third man for a large chunk of his runs.
But on 70 Hampton found the edge of his bat.
His departure left Otago teetering at 134 for five. The Volts had a lead but it was nothing meaty.
Hampton had four and was chasing a five-for.
The day was still very evenly poised.
But Chu and Johnson wrestled back the momentum with a valuable unbroken stand of 66.
At Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland seized the initiative against Wellington with a 209-run opening stand. Will O’Donnell (102) posted his fourth first-class century and Sean Solia was unbeaten on 114 at stumps with his side 267 for one.
In Napier, Canterbury was dismissed for 225. Central Districts seamer Brett Randell snapped up four wickets and his side was 16 without loss at stumps.
- Otago A recorded a nine-wicket win against Canterbury A in Rangiora yesterday. The home side was routed for just 42. James Brown, Travis Muller and Shiv Achary grabbed three wickets apiece.
NORTHERN DISTRICTS
H Cooper c Chu b Duffy 10
J Raval c Todd b Duffy 0
B Popli c Todd b McKay 24
J Carter c Johnson b Duffy3
T Seifert c Johnson b Georgeson 7
K Clarke run out (McKay) 12
S Kuggeleijn c&b Bacon 36
B Hampton c Cumming b Georgeson 22
N Wagner c Chu b Georgeson 0
J Walker not out 0
Z Gibson c Chu b Georgeson 1
Extras (2nb) 2
Total (34.5 overs) 117
Fall: 1-1, 2-27, 3-35, 4-45, 5-54, 6-73, 7-116, 8-116, 9-116.
Bowling: J Duffy 11-1-38-3 (1nb), M Bacon 8-1-24-1, J McKay 7-2-22-1, L Georgeson 8.5-1-33-4 (1nb).
OTAGO
J Cumming c KD Clarke b Hampton 14
J Todd c Seifert b Hampton 13
D Phillips c Seifert b Hampton 70
T Parkes c Carter b Kuggeleijn 5
L Georgeson b Hampton 18
L Johnson not out 33
M Chu not out 32
Extras (b2, w2, nb5) 9
Total (for 5wkts, 56.4 overs) 200
Fall: 1-21, 2-42, 3-81, 4-133, 5-134.
Bowling: N Wagner 13-6-36-0, S Kuggeleijn 13-3-59-1 (1nb), B Hampton 12-3-26-4 (1w, 1nb), Z Gibson 11.4-1-55-0 (1w, 3nb), J Walker 6-1-19-0, J Raval 1-0-3-0.
