Defeat was almost complete.
But only almost.
Otago found the most unlikely hero in Ben Lockrose and he played an innings best described as a little mental.
The Volts left-arm spinner blasted an undefeated 58 off 26 to guide Otago to a tense four-wicket win against Central Districts at the University Oval today.
The Stags had thumped 187 for five and had reduced Otago to 109 for six.
This one was over.
But Dean Foxcroft (46 not out off 32) is a fighter and he combined with Lockrose in a remarkable partnership which netted 81 off 39 balls.
Foxcroft shaped as the dangerman but instead it was Lockrose who produced the devastating onslaught in front of 673 delirious fans.
"I’ve been hitting the ball all right in the nets recently, but getting out and doing it in a game is a bit different," Lockrose said when asked if he had ever batted like that before.
"I’ve never brought it home like that before ... but hopefully there is more to come.
"It was pretty cool."
Lockrose’s none for 21 from four overs was really good in the context of the game as well. But it was his effort with the bat which won the day.
The Volts needed 30 to win from the final two overs and Lockrose teed off, clouting 25 from the penultimate over.
He smacked a couple of sixes and a boundary and got lucky with an inside edge which made its way safely past the stumps on its way to the rope.
Otago had earned some good fortune given a couple of dodgy decisions which did not go its way earlier in the game.
The win is huge in the context of the season as well. The Volts climbed back into second place and are well placed to make the playoffs with two round-robin games remaining.
Earlier, it looked as if the stars had aligned for the visitors.
Otago could not get the umpires to put their index fingers up.
Tom Bruce (79 not out off 45) and Will Young (53 off 33) went on to make the most of their reprieves.
Young looked as if he had leathered an edge to keeper Max Chu early in his knock, while Bruce survived a confident lbw appeal before he had opened his account.
They both looked very out on the replays.
But it is the opinion of the officials in the middle which matters the most — not the critics on the sideline.
Bruce played awfully well after that. Young looked all class, too.
The pair’s 80-run stand from 46 balls should have been the difference between the two teams.
But enter Foxcroft and Lockrose, while openers Hamish Rutherford (34 off 22) and Jake Gibson (30 off 20) got the chase off to a cracking start and played their part as well.
There were many other good moments in the match.
Michael Rae pulled off a stunning catch at fine leg in the opening over of the match.
Bayley Wiggins got a top edge which looked as if it would defeat Rae and get to the boundary.
But he got his cape out and soared through the air to intercept it.
The sight of a frustrated Matt Bacon imploring the umpire to give Young out was kind of funny
He even made the gesture to signal for the third umpire to intervene.
Rae had a strong lbw appeal turned down against Bruce as well.
Despite all the drama, the Stags rallied.
At the halfway stage the they were 95 for two and eyeing up a tally north of 200.
Young got to 50 with an elegant lofted drive for six.
He tried to repeat the shot later in Travis Muller’s (three for 33) over but got it low on the bat and Rutherford pouched the catch at long off.
Bruce poked a single into the leg side to raise his 50 and banged back-to-back sixes in the final over to get his side close to 190.
Ajaz Patel (one for 20) and Jayden Lennox (four for 28) almost turned the game for the Stags as well.
Central Districts
B Wiggins c Rae b Muller 5 (3)
B Smith c Chu b Rae 5 (10)
W Young c Rutherford b Muller 53 (33)
T Bruce not out 79 (45)
J Clarkson c Foxcroft b Muller 21 (18)
W Clark c Bacon b Rae 7 (8)
B Small not out 5 (4)
Extras (1b, 3lb, 7w, 1nb) 12
Total (for 5wkts, 20 overs) 187
Fall: 1-6, 2-33, 3-113, 4-144, 5-162.
Bowling: T Muller 4-0-33-3 (1w), B Lockrose 4-0-21-0 (1w), M Rae 4-0-27-2 (2w), M Bacon 4-0-54-0 (2w, 1nb), J Finnie 2-0-23-0 (1w), D Foxcroft 2-0-25-0.
Otago
H Rutherford st Wiggins b Lennox 34 (22)
J Gibson c Clark b Patel 30 (20)
D Foxcroft not out 46 (32)
Max Chu c Bruce b Lennox 1 (2)
D Phillips run out (Wiggins) 5 (8)
L Johnson c & b Lennox 9 (6)
J Finnie b Lennox 0 (1)
B Lockrose not out 58 (26)
Extras (1b, 1lb, 5w) 7
Total (6 wickets, 19.3 overs) 190
Fall: 1-66, 2-72, 3-73, 4-91, 5-109, 6-109.
Bowling: B Randell 4-0-38-0 (2w), B Small 3-0-35-0, R Toole 3-0-51-0 (2w), A Patel 4-0-20-1 (1w), J Lennox 4-0-28-4, T Bruce 1.3-0-16-0.
Result: Otago won by four wickets.
