The 25-year-old right-hander has found some sparkling form at the end of the summer.
He stroked his sixth first-class century to help Otago through to 309 against Central Districts in Napier yesterday.
Central will resume this morning on 12 for one.
Jacob Duffy secured a breakthrough to complete a good day for the visitors.
But Phillips was the star.
His knock of 144 followed on from his innings of 127 in the heavy loss to Wellington at the Basin Reserve last week.
He also produced a fine double of 40 and 70 not out in the nine-wicket win against Canterbury earlier in the month.
His lastest haul has carried him past 600 runs for the season and he stitched the Volts’ innings together with some fine batting.
He was patient when he needed to be and aggressive when the situation warranted it.
Early on, he required mostly patience, though.
The Volts lost openers Thorn Parkes (12) and Jacob Cumming (10) cheaply and the captain Dean Foxcroft (3) could not get set either.
But Jamal Todd played nicely for 45 and he shared in a 76-run stand with Phillips.
The left-hander was brutal on anything near his pads.
Otago wicketkeeper Max Chu added a valuable 31, but Phillips was the glue.
He was strong through the offside and down the ground.
The majority of his 22 boundaries were hit that way.
He also clobbered one handsome six down the ground.
Andrew Hazeldine’s bold cameo of 34 helped the Volts slip past 300.
Blair Tickner (two for 56) bowled tight up top for Central Districts without a whole lot of luck.
Will Clark found a good length and got reward with three for 54, and Liam Dudding picked up three as well.
Duffy got Curtis Heaphy with a gem of a delivery which swung away and took he edge.
Chu scooped an athletic grab low to his right.
In Auckland the Aces were rolled for 216. Zak Foulkes (five for 38) nabbed his maiden five-wicket bag and Canterbury is 107 for three in reply.
And in the Plunket Shield decider, Wellington is 282 for nine at stumps on day one in Hamilton.
OTAGO
T Parkes c Cleaver b Tickner 12
J Cumming c Cleaver b Dudding 10
D Phillips c Cleaver b Tickner 144
D Foxcroft b Dudding 3
J Toddc Bruce b Clarkson 45
L Georgeson c Cleaver b Clark 7
M Chu run out (Young/Cleaver) 31
B Lockrose c Patel b Clark 15
T Muller c Cleaver b Clark 2
A Hazeldine c sub (Rowe) b Dudding 34
J Duffy not out 0
Extras (3lb, 2w, 1nb) 6
Total (all out, 84.5 overs) 309
Fall: 1-22, 2-26, 3-29, 4-105, 5-145, 6-200, 7-242, 8-246, 9-309.
Bowling: B Tickner 21.5-6-56-2 (1w), L Dudding 17-1-92-3, J Clarkson 15-2-44-1 (1w, 1nb), W Clark 14-2-54-3, A Patel
13-2-44-0, B Schmulian 4-0-16-0.
CENTRAL DISTRICTS
W Young not out 6
C Heaphy c Chu b Duffy 0
G Hay not out 3
Extras (3lb) 3
Total (1 wkt, 9 overs) 12
Fall: 1-1.
Bowling: J Duffy 5-2-3-1, L Georgeson 4-1-6-0.
