Sometimes the hare wins the race.
Otago crawled to 222 for nine and Northern Districts lapped it in the 31st over.
It was not much of a race at Seddon Park.
The home side snaffled the wickets of Otago’s two best batters just as they threatened to hit top gear in yesterday’s Ford Trophy game.
Its spin duo of Peter Drysdale and Freddy Walker controlled the middle overs and chipped away at the remainder of the order.
Then openers Tim Seifert and Katene Clarke blasted the Otago attack during a punishing 148-run stand.
The visitor picked up three late wickets but the show was over.
The loss could be awfully damaging for Otago’s prospects.
The Volts (16 points) held on to fourth spot but lost ground on the top three playoff spots.
Northern Districts (22 points) leapfrogged Canterbury (21 points) to move to second.
Auckland (12 points) remains in last place despite beating Wellington (14 points) by seven wickets at the Basin Reserve yesterday.
Central Districts leads the competition with 24 points.
There are two rounds remaining before the playoffs get under way in mid-February.
Northern started poorly in Hamilton. Neil Wagner produced an eight-ball opening over which cost his side 13 runs.
But Scott Kuggeleijn struck early to set the Volts back. Makeshift opener Max Chu swung a bouncer to Drysdale on 10.
Otago’s key pair of Hamish Rutherford and Dean Foxcroft forged a cautious partnership.
Boundaries were hard to come by, but the base for a later onslaught was slowly being erected.
The 86-run partnership came up off 131 balls. But the "steady as she goes" approach hinged on a distant acceleration which would never come.
Foxcroft went for 30. Drysdale tossed one up and Foxcroft lunged forward but missed, and was stumped by a sharp piece of work by Seifert.
Rutherford joined him in the shed shortly after. He got down the wicket to Walker but the delivery dipped under the bat of the Otago captain and crashed into the stumps.
His departure for 57 left Otago 113 for three in 29th over. The duo had looked on the cusp of lifting the tempo but instead the Volts had to rebuild.
Dale Phillips attempted to stick the innings back together with a knock of 41.
But he could not find any support at the other end.
Walker (two for 33) and Drysdale (two for 37) bowled well in tandem and did not let the Volts back into the match.
Otago’s last pair of Michael Rae and Matt Bacon slogged 32 from 15 balls to get the Volts past 220.
But the total looked awfully light and so it proved.
Clarke and Seifert pounded the Otago attack, including taking 23 of one over from Rae.
The bowler dropped too short and was smashed for a couple sixes and two boundaries.
The 100-run partnership came up off just 73 balls. Clarke eventually missed one and was bowled by Josh Finnie for 68 off 45 deliveries.
The opening run stand had been broken but it cost plenty. The game was over as a contest by then.
Finnie got another consolation. Jeet Raval swept but was trapped in front for seven.
And Seifert had a swipe against the spin and was caught up at the wicket by keeper Max Chu.
He had made 80, so Ben Lockrose kept his celebration in check.
Any suggestion of a late collapse was put to rest with Joe Carter and Henry Cooper collecting the remaining runs to seal the win.
OTAGO
H Rutherford b Walker 57
M Chu c Drysdale b Kuggeleijn 10
D Foxcroft st Seifert b Drysdale 30
D Phillips c Raval b KDC Clarke 41
J Finnie b Kuggeleijn 6
N Kwant st Seifert b Walker 8
J Gibson c Cooper b KDC Clarke 10
T Muller c Hampton b Drysdale 10
B Lockrose c Kuggeleijn b KDC Clarke 5
M Bacon not out 12
M Rae not out 21
Extras (3lb, 8w, 1nb) 12
Total (9 wickets, 50 overs) 222
Fall: 1-19, 2-105, 3-113, 4-128, 5-143, 6-169, 7-176, 8-188, 9-190.
Bowling: N Wagner 8-0-46-0 (3w), S Kuggeleijn 10-0-35-2 (1w), B Hampton 6-0-20-0 (1nb), KDC Clarke 7-0-48-3, P Drysdale 9-0-37-2, F Walker 10-0-33-2.
NORTHERN DISTRICTS
K Clarke b Finnie 68
T Seifert c Chu b Lockrose 80
J Raval lbw b Finnie 7
J Carter not out 26
H Cooper not out 31
Extras (4b, 1lb, 6w) 11
Total (3 wickets, 30.5 overs) 223
Fall: 1-148, 2-158, 3-182.
Bowling: M Rae 5-0-55-0 (2w), M Bacon 6-1-27-0 (4w), T Muller 2.5-0-27-0, B Lockrose 10-0-59-1, D Foxcroft 3-0-18-0, J Finnie 4-0-32-2.
Result: Northern Districts won by seven wickets.
