But tense does not begin to describe that last over from Northern Districts all-rounder Daryl Mitchell at Molyneux Park yesterday.
The Volts needed 14 more runs to overhaul the visiting side’s total of 179 for eight.
With just six balls to get there it appeared the win had slipped away.
A crucial umpiring blunder midway through the over made the task even more difficult.
Shaun Haig missed an obvious wide and instead ruled a bye when the Volts scampered through for what they thought would be a second wide.
That left the home team requiring eight from two balls.
A crowd of about a 1000 leaned forward. All the pressure was on the batsman but it was the bowler who crumbled.
Mitchell bowled a shoulder-high no-ball which Kitchen swung away for four.
Now the Volts needed three from two and Kitchen had a free hit. He clubbed it down the ground for two to tie the score.
Northern Districts captain Dean Brownlie brought the field in in a bid to prevent a single. But Kitchen got a full bunger and clouted it for six.
The win has allowed the Volts to climb back into top spot on the standings.
A win against Canterbury in Alexandra today will further strengthen their playoff prospects.
The victory came with a cost, though. All-rounder Nathan Smith was unable to complete his final over.
He picked up a hip complaint and is looking doubtful for today’s game.
While Kitchen ended the match in style, he started poorly. He bowled the opening over and it went for 15.
But he made amends the very next over when Anton Devcich spooned him a catch from a full toss from Jacob Duffy
The early setback did not faze Tim Seifert at all. He swept off-spinner Dean Foxcroft on to the roof of the pavilion.
The Knights’ 50 came up inside the first six overs.
Left-arm wrist spinner Michael Rippon struck with his second ball to remove pinch hitter Brett Hampton and wrestle back some control for Otago.
That brought Mitchell to the crease and he got under way with a reverse sweep for four.
Seifert raised his 50 off 27 balls but was lured into a pull shot from Michael Rae on 54.
He got it high on the ball and holed out at deep backward square.
Mitchell’s knock of 39 and a damaging undefeated 35-run cameo from Scott Kuggeleijn dragged Northern through to a very decent total.
Otago opener Hamish Rutherford has perhaps not hit the ball so well for so long and he got the Volts’ innings off to a rapid start.
The left-hander flayed an effortless 29 from 12 balls. He mistimed the 13th delivery he faced though and had to depart.
But his brief stint bought some time for the rest of the batting line-up — and they needed it.
Nick Kelly was dropped on three and struggled to get his innings under way. Neil Broom also found it heavy going.
The boundaries had dried up until Broom pulled Kuggeleijn for six and was nearly brilliantly caught on the boundary edge.
Then leg-spinner Ish Sodhi missed his length twice and Kelly swatted him away for consecutive fours.
And just like that both batsmen had suddenly found some fluency. The pair put on 81 for the second wicket before Broom clipped a full toss from Kuggeleijn to a fielder.
When Kelly was caught at cow corner for 54 the game appeared to be slipping way.
Josh Finnie helped rescue the win with a crucial 20 not out.
