Otago fast bowler Michael Rae channelled his inner Neil Wagner to help the Volts secure a 62-run win against Canterbury in Invercargill yesterday.
The towering right-armer produced an energetic spell of which his former Otago team-mate would have greatly approved.
Rae came around the wicket and speared the ball towards the ribs of his opponents to stunning effect.
Canterbury was threatening to make good in its chase of 303 but Rae prized out four quick wickets and it changed the course of the match.
The visiting side slumped from 153 for three to 183 for eight.
Andrew Hazeldine launched a brazen counterattack in an attempt to resurrect the innings. But Nathan Smith, who played such a crucial role with the bat earlier in the game, bowled the tailender for 38 to seal the win.
Rae finished with four for 75, while Jacob Duffy's haul of four for 46 was just as telling.
‘‘[Rae] broke the game open with that spell,'' Volts coach Rob Walter said.
‘‘'I'm not sure how many overs he bowled in a row in the end but it was great energy and it just turned things around.
‘‘But you can go back to day one and that big partnership between Nathan Smith and Michael Rippon. For me, that was the biggest play in the game.''
The pair put on 142 in the first innings to move Otago out of danger at 96 for six to 238 for seven.
Yesterday, Volts resumed their second innings on 142 for seven hoping to stretch their lead as far as they could.
But Canterbury snaffled the remaining wickets without conceding many more.
Matt Henry was the major beneficiary. He struck second ball, nicking out Duffy before he could add to his overnight score of 17.
Then he wrapped up the innings for 160 with a similar ball to Rippon, who perished for a fighting knock of 30.
Canterbury had clawed its way back into the contest but the target seemed to move further away when opener Chad Bowes got a leading edge and was out without scoring.
Duffy quickly struck again. Stephen Murdoch was lured into a defensive shot and got an outside edge.
The visiting team was ere teetering at five for two but the arrival of Ken McClure saw the plot take a disturbing turn from Otago's point of view.
He combined in a threatening 122-run stand with opener Jack Boyle.
The Volts badly needed a breakthrough and Duffy delivered. He found the edge of Boyle's bat for 42.
But it was Rae who starred. He blasted out four players ,including the key man McClure for 98.
The win has moved Otago up one place to fourth on 37 points.
At the Basin Reserve, Wellington recorded a convincing nine-wicket win against Central Districts to move to the top of the standings.
It was set a paltry target of 54 to win after dismissing the Stags for 96 and 254.
The wickets were shared around but Black Caps all-rounder Jimmy Neesham grabbed six for the match.
At Eden Park Outer Oval, Northern Districts batsman Joe Carter backed up his century in the first innings against Auckland with another in the second . The 27-year-old right-hander stroked 120 to help his side post 283 in its second innings.
Auckland will chase 371 for victory today.
