Rain ruined what was shaping as an intriguing day’s play between Otago and Northern Districts at the University Oval yesterday.
It rained on and off in the city and there were just under 29 overs played during the Plunket Shield fixture.
The game did not progress much. Otago advanced from 156 for four to 230 for six and it leads by 134 runs with 96 overs remaining.
Dean Foxcroft was trapped lbw for 53 and Max Chu was undone on 78.
Chu played some marvellous cricket but tried to leave a delivery from Neil Wagner and got a tiny bit of wood on it.
While the lion’s share of the day was a write off, the game is still in the balance. All three results are possible.
Otago still has some work to do to set a decent target. But coach Dion Ebrahim has scratched out some preliminary calculations.
"We still have three full sessions, if the weather plays its part, and we have a lead of 134, so it does give us options of getting a bit further ahead and setting up [a declaration]," he said.
"There is a danger in looking too far ahead. We’ve still got to get an innings together where we actually have a target that we can put pressure on ND.
"There is still definitely enough time."
Time is the most critical part of the calculation.
Otago will have to leave itself enough overs to take 10 wickets and keep Northern Districts in the game by not asking its to chase too many.
Set the bar too low and Northern could canter to an outright win. Set it too high and the visitor might stop taking risks and play for a draw.
Ebrahim felt an asking rate of 4.5 to five runs an over would be tempting enough while keeping his side in the game.
That would mean Otago would have to at least double its lead and leave Northern Districts with perhaps 55 to 60 overs to chase.
"It is a ground where once two batsmen get going they are capable of generating a fairly strong strike rate, so we’ve got to get our maths right. But that all depends on our start [this morning]."
The forecast is looking brighter today.
The game between Canterbury and Auckland at Hagley Oval looks destined for a draw. Cole McConchie backed up from his double ton against Otago last week by stroking 130 to help his side post 509 in reply to Auckland’s first innings effort of 438.
Robbie O’Donnell grabbed five for 47 — his maiden five-wicket bag —and the Aces are 37 for one in their second innings.
In Palmerston North, Central Districts is 155 for five in pursuit of 317 for victory. Nick Kelly scored 105 for Wellington to help his side through to 269 and set a challenging chase.
Will Young is 90 not out and will carry the home side’s hopes this morning.
OTAGO
First innings 181
NORTHERN DISTRICTS
First innings 277
OTAGO
Second innings
H Rutherford c Hampton b Wagner 16
J Cumming c Kuggeleijn b Pringle 26
D Phillips c & b Cooper 6
D Foxcroft lbw b Pringle 53
T Parkes c Hampton b Cooper 3
M Chu c Seifert b Wagner 78
M Rippon not out 26
T Muller not out 4
Extras (8b, 7lb, 2w, 1nb) 18
Total (for 6 wkts, 88.4 overs) 230
Fall: 1-39, 2-50, 3-62, 4-68, 5-180, 6-211
Bowling: N Wagner 16-3-43-2, S Kuggeleijn 8-2-28-0 (1w), B Hampton 4-0-6-0 (1w, 1nb), T Pringle 25-9-56-2, H Cooper 17-3-38-2, F Walker 11.4-3-25-0, J Raval 3-0-14-0, K Clarke 4-1-5-0.
