Otago has made two elimination finals this season and today’s first-class game against Canterbury shapes as another.
There are no gimmicks in Plunket Shield cricket. There is no final, no playoffs, no second chance.
The team with the most points at the end of the campaign wins.
That said, Otago needs to beat Canterbury, which gives the game the feel of a playoff fixture.
Canterbury has set the benchmark and nurses a healthy lead at the top of the standings with 71 points from five games.
Wellington (53 points) holds down second spot and Central Districts (46 points) is in third but has a game in hand.
Northern Districts (39 points), Otago (37 points) and Auckland (32 points, also with a game in hand) round out the bottom three placings.
With a maximum of 20 points per game, the tournament is still wide open.
But a Canterbury win in Dunedin this week will cement it as the favourite to go on and claim the title, while Otago’s prospects of breaking its long drought in the competition will realistically be sunk.
The Volts have not won the Plunket Shield since 1987-88 — 35 years ago.
Volts coach Dion Ebrahim could not be reached for comment, but he has named an unchanged team from the side which fought back against Wellington in Dunedin last week.
Dale Phillips emerged from a form slump with 87 in the first innings, while Dean Foxcroft posted his maiden century in the format with a quality innings of 159 on the final day.
He almost dragged Otago through to an unlikely victory.
When he was run out — one of three in the innings — Otago changed tactics and batted the game out for a draw.
Glenn Phillips returned to some form with a nice double of 61 and 47.
Travis Muller bowled well in that game without getting a whole lot of success.
Canterbury is fresh from a four-wicket win against Northern Districts.
The visitors have made one change. All-rounder Zak Foulkes has been ruled out with an injury and has been replaced in the line-up by keeper Cameron Fletcher.
Talented all-rounder Henry Shipley shapes as a major threat. He has picked up 12 wickets at 24.91 this season and scored 182 runs at an average of 45.50.
Opener Rhys Mariu made a strong debut, with knocks of 68 and 78 not out, and the captain Cole McConchie is the leading scorer in the competition this season with 501 runs at 71.57.
Will O’Rourke (15 at 32.13), Fraser Sheat (eight at 29.87) and Ed Nuttall (eight at 28) form a formidable pace trio, and leg spinner Ish Sodhi has three first-class five-wicket bags at the University Oval and an impressive record against Otago of 62 wickets at 24.46.
Plunket Shield
Dunedin, 10.30am
Otago: Hamish Rutherford (captain), Thorn Parkes, Dean Foxcroft, Glenn Phillips, Dale Phillips, Jake Gibson, Michael Rippon, Max Chu, Travis Muller, Jacob Duffy, Jarrod McKay, Ben Lockrose.
Canterbury: Chad Bowes, Rhys Mariu, Cole McConchie, Leo Carter, Mitch Hay, Cameron Fletcher, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Fraser Sheat, Will O’Rourke, Ed Nuttall, Angus McKenzie.
