Days after the Otago opener swatted 35 runs off just 11 balls against Central, Phillips was bruising with 43 runs off 25 balls against Wellington at the Basin Reserve this evening.
Phillips set the platform for Otago’s 15-run win to remain at the top of the Super Smash table.
It was a tense game that went down to the wire, but Otago held their nerve to dig themselves out of trouble in the field.
Batting first, Jamal Todd played a nice reverse sweep that went to the boundary off his first ball.
But he was the first to fall for Otago after he was caught in the deep for 10.
Phillips kept forging ahead, with support from Llew Johnson, for Otago to finish the power play at 62 for one.
Phillips was eventually picked off for 43 with Peter Younghusband’s opening delivery.
Younghusband trapped Johnson (19) for an lbw and replacement Dean Foxcroft got himself trapped halfway down the wicket when he was searching for a second run and was run out for four.
Things slowed up a touch for Otago, who were 90 for four in the 11th over.
Max Chu took little time to get going however, finding consecutive boundaries to bring Otago to their ton. He smacked a quickfire 37 off 23 balls.
Andrew Hazeldine whacked a six off the final over for Otago to finish up at 164 for seven at the end of 20 overs.
Hazeldine struck first with the ball too. Tim Robinson skied his delivery to Leo Carter at cover, putting Wellington nine for one in the second over.
Ben Lockrose took a brilliant catch to dismiss Wellington captain Nick Kelly.
Hazeldine bowled Black Cap Tom Blundell (5), and Troy Johnson (3) chopped on Jacob Duffy’s delivery.
Wellington were in trouble after wrapping up the power play at 38 for four.
Michael Bracewell, returning from Black Caps duty, helped get Wellington moving.
Foxcroft left the field with what appeared to be a finger injury after bowling just the one over.
Phillips filled in, but Bracewell took to everyone, dispatching everything to the boundary to put Wellington back in the game.
Bracewell was eventually caught by replacement Reuben Clinton after smacking 61 off 31 balls.
He set the game up for a tense finish, but Lockrose picked up two wickets in the 18th over to help turn things back around.
Duffy took the final two scalps to bowl Wellington out for 149 the following over.
