The 26-year-old former Canterbury player scored a century on debut for his adopted province to help move the Stags into a more solid position in its Plunket Shield game with Otago in Palmerston North.
His knock of 117 has helped the home team reach 225 for five at stumps on day two.
Otago was bowled out earlier for 268 and nurses a 43-run first-innings lead.
Quick wickets will be at the top of the priority list for the visitors this morning.
Otago resumed yesterday on 195 for seven with Jake Gibson shaping as the main hope.
He was 22 overnight and rattled on some quick runs to get through to his fourth first-class half century and a career-best 68.
Gibson took on the short ball and sent the ball flying towards the rope. But he also got lucky.
He brought up said 50 with a slash through the slips. The ball ballooned from the bat and floated through the narrow gap between the slips.
Even after watching several replays its still seems crazy no-one caught it.
They were valuable runs from Otago’s point of view and Gibson’s counterattack propelled the Volts past 250.
Ray Toole added another wicket to his haul of the day before and finished with four for 78, while Ajaz Patel’s two for 36 from 18 overs was a very decent shift at the bowling crease for the left-arm spinner.
He helped the Stags grab all four bowling bonus points. Central Districts is in the title hunt and an outright win would boost their prospects.
The Stags’ reply hit an early road bump. Opener Curtis Heaphy (7) edged a Michael Rae in the 10th over.
Veteran Greg Hay, who has dined out on the Otago attack over the years, amassing nearly 1500 runs at an average approaching 57, missed out for a change. He chased a wide half volley from Andrew Hazeldine and guided it into the hands of Thorn Parkes in the gully.
It was Hazeldine’s maiden first-class wicket for Otago.
Boyle held the innings together, though. He waited out the good deliveries and punished the loose ones, collecting 12 boundaries and one six.
But after five hours at the crease he got a faint edge off left-arm spinner Ben Lockrose and keeper Max Chu took an instinctive catch to remove him.
At Eden Park Outer Oval, Simon Keene (100 not out) posted his maiden first-class hundred and teamed with George Worker (114 not out) in a 179-run stand for the sixth wicket to help Auckland post 350 for five declared.
Northern Districts was 84 for three in reply with two days to play.
Poor weather interrupted play for a second day in Rangiora.
Canterbury opener Rhys Mariu was on 91 overnight and went on to score 112, his maiden first-class century, to help his side reach 294.
But Sean Davey stole the limelight with five for nine from 10 overs to leave Wellington teetering at 55 for five.
OTAGO
H Rutherford b Randell 4
J Cumming c Bruce b Toole 43
D Foxcroft b Toole 70
T Parkes c Heaphy b Patel 15
D Phillips c Bruce b Toole 4
J Gibson c Hay b Small 68
M Chu lbw b Small 16
B Lockrose st Cleaver b Patel 6
J Duffy c Cleaver b Toole 10
A Hazeldine b Randell 16
M Rae not out 7
Extras (4b, 1lb, 2w, 2nb) 9
Total (all out, 76.1 overs) 268
Fall: 1-10, 2-91, 3-131, 4-139, 5-143, 6-168, 7-186, 8-200, 9-227, 10-268.
Bowling: B Randell 18-5-55-2, R Toole 20-3-78-4 (1w), J Clarkson 5-0-32-0 (2nb), B Small 15.1-1-62-2 (1w), A Patel 18-6-36-2.
CENTRAL DISTRICTS
J Boyle c Chu b Lockrose 117
C Heaphy c Cumming b Rae 7
G Hay c Parkes b Hazeldine 21
B Schmulian c Chu b Rae 24
T Bruce c Chu b Duffy 13
D Cleaver not out 23
A Patel not out 7
Extras (1b, 3lb, 8w, 1nb) 13
Total (5wkts, 76 overs) 225
Fall: 1-13, 2-64, 3-127, 4-157, 5-216.
Bowling: J Duffy 17-7-27-1 (1w), A Hazeldine 14-1-65-1 (2w, 1nb), M Rae 14-4-42-2 (1w), J Gibson 9-2-27-0, B Lockrose 16-1-39-1, D Foxcroft 6-2-21-0.
