Otago has kept faith with the side which hung on for a draw against Auckland earlier this week.
The Volts will host Canterbury in Invercargill tomorrow and they have named an unchanged 12.
Experienced opener Hamish Rutherford’s comeback will have to wait another week. He was struck by a bouncer during the final of the one-day tournament on February 16 and failed a concussion assessment.
‘‘He is not too far away,’’ coach Rob Walter said.
‘‘He wasn’t ready for this game but we are hopeful he will be ready for next week’s fixture [in Dunedin]. You cannot rush it. There is a very strict protocol now and he has to follow that.’’
That means Anaru Kitchen will probably partner Camden Hawkins at the top of the order again.
The Volts faced a probable defeat against a powerful Auckland line-up at Eden Park Outer Oval during the last round, but a gallant undefeated five-hour vigil from all-rounder Nathan Smith helped the Volts avoid a loss.
There is always mixed feelings when registering a draw but for Otago there was a sense of ‘‘accomplishment’’ as well, Walter said.
‘‘It was nice to see some of the guys step up and hold on.’’
The Volts are in fifth place with 19 points midway through the tournament.
Central Districts leads the standings with 48 points. Wellington is tucked in close behind on 47 points, while Canterbury (36) and Auckland (34) are very much in touch.
Northern Districts trails the pack with 18 points. But with a maximum of 80 points still available, the tournament is wide open.
Otago has not won the first-class tournament since 1987-88 and has not played very good four-day cricket in recent summers.
But the Volts made the playoffs of both the twenty20 and one-day tournaments this season and are focused on making improvements in the longer format of the game.
Walter felt his side could take some confidence from the coloured-clothing campaigns into the remainder of the season.
Nick Kelly scored his maiden first-class century in the draw against Auckland and he has been an excellent acquisition for Otago. Captain Jacob Duffy has 13 wickets so far and has been in good rhythm.
They shape as key players for the Volts.
