The experienced Otago seamer nabbed four for 19 to lead the Volts to a much-needed eight-wicket win against Northern Districts in Hamilton today.
Duffy had great support from Jake Gibson, who took three for 19 to help skittle the home team for 128.
Glenn Phillips’ haul of one for 23 was great value as well.
And crucially the batting fired against what was an international-class bowling unit.
The captain Dean Foxcroft paced the chase with a controlled and undefeated knock of 55.
His boundaries came from mostly orthodox cricket shots and there was not a hint of panic in his approach.
Phillips was in more of a hurry.
The Black Caps all-rounder stroked left arm spinner Tim Pringle for three consecutive sixes and sent a Mitchell Santner delivery high on to the embankment as well.
His 50 came off just 27 balls and hammered the long-off boundary during his 53 not out.
Earlier, Katene Clarke needed just one sighter before he boomed a six over long-on.
The 24-year-old right-hander lofted another down the ground for four but did not last.
Left arm spinner Ben Lockrose angled a delivery in and bowled him for 10.
Jeet Raval did not hang around either. He got an edge and went for a duck.
Duffy got a bit of extra bounce and made it work for him on that occasion.
He thought he had Joe Carter trapped lbw too, but the batter survived.
Tim Seifert’s response was to hit over extra cover for a brace of sixes.
The Brave had muscled their way to 51 for two by the end of the powerplay.
Travis Muller got the key breakthrough. Seifert miscued to Duffy at mid-off for 37.
But Mitchell Santner planted his right foot down the pitch and swung a couple over the sight screen.
The lanky left-armer possesses a surprising amount of power in his wiry frame.
But the Volts kept picking up wickets which prevented the Brave teeing off from both ends.
Santner fell one short of what would have been a quality 50.
It was a timely dismissal too.
The Brave were losing wickets in the last five rather than thrashing boundaries.
Duffy took two in the 17th over and that really knocked the stuffing out of the innings.
The Volts lost Hamish Rutherford early but Foxcroft and Phillips combined in an unbroken 82-run stand for the third wicket to seal the win.
The Volts' next match is against Central Districts in Napier on Wednesday.
