The Volts recorded their seventh win this season — a tense three-run win against Auckland in Invercargill on Saturday after posting 283 for seven.
Wellington was leading the competition going into the final series of round-robin matches. But its game against Northern Districts in Whangarei was rained off.
That opened the door for the Volts, who have come from dead last in the past two seasons to have a firm opportunity to win their first one-day title since 2007-08.
It has been quite a turnaround from a team who arguably started the campaign as strong favourites to finish at the bottom again.
The departures of Neil Wagner and Jimmy Neesham, and the retirements of Rob Nicol and Derek de Boorder stripped the side of a lot of experience and some X-factor.
But it is a happier group, and some of the players who watched from the sidelines are now making telling contributions.
All-rounder Nathan Smith has filled in up the order and been bowling at the death. He produced a wonderful penultimate over on Saturday to help secure the win. The importance of his knock of 42 cannot be underestimated either.
Josh Finnie has made a tremendous impact at the death with the bat, and did so again with 37 not out from 24 balls.
Matt Bacon did not play on Saturday and did not get much opportunity last summer. But he has been one of the form bowlers in the competition, with 16 wickets at an average of 25.31.
The Volts have been getting off to steady starts this season.
That did not happen on Saturday, though. Mitch Renwick had a rare failure and Brad Wilson was not able to back-up from his century against Canterbury in the previous round.
Smith and Neil Broom (50) teamed up to add 78 and solid contributions from Shawn Hicks (45) and Anaru Kitchen (43) helped rebuild the innings.
Auckland spinner Roneel Hira did his best to unravel the good work with four for 46. But Finnie and Viljoen clubbed some late boundaries to push the Volts towards a more competitive score.
The Volts’ total increased in value when Black Cap blaster Colin Munro chopped on for 11.
Jacob Duffy came up with the key strike. It also fell on the co-captain to bowl the last over.Auckland needed 16 from it, but Duffy restricted the visiting side to four runs from four deliveries.
That left the Aces needing 12 off two. They managed two fours, which hurt Duffy’s final figures. But he produced when it counted.
The slow bowlers got through 20 tidy overs. Michael Rippon was frugal again with none for 44, and Kitchen’s one for 37 was a huge bonus.
It was exactly the type of game which would have slipped away last summer.
The match between Central Districts and Canterbury was abandoned without a ball bowled, while Wellington was 20 for two against Northern Districts when rain forced the players from the field.
Auckland finished in third place, but will host the elimination final on Wednesday at Eden Park Outer Oval.
Wellington qualified in second but ceded the hosting rights to the match because of the unavailability of the Basin Reserve.
The winner will meet Otago in the final at the University of Otago Oval on Saturday. There is a reserve day scheduled for Sunday if the weather intervenes.
