'Southern Volts' make winning return to Queens Park
For this following article, we are going to unapologetically take the liberty of referring to the Otago Volts as the ‘Southern Volts’. It feels right.
For this following article, we are going to unapologetically take the liberty of referring to the Otago Volts as the ‘Southern Volts’.
It feels right.
After all the Southern Volts have kicked started their 2023 Ford Trophy cricket campaign in the best possible fashion in Southland territory on Saturday.
They did it with a couple of Southland products - Jacob Duffy and Ben Lockrose - as part of their successful bowling lineup in front of a few hundred delighted Southlanders on a stunning Saturday afternoon.
Saturday was a day that the Southland cricketing community could savour.
It had been five years since a top-level white-ball domestic game had been played at Queens Park because of well-documented drainage issues.
There were no signs of that on Saturday, though. In fact, there would have been fewer better cricketing settings on Saturday than that of Queens Park in Invercargill on Saturday.
Queens Park was even given a big tick of approval from angularly the Volts’ biggest fan, Mark Currie, who decided to make the trip south to Invercargill on Saturday.
The sun baked the lightning-quick outfield in front of a crowd searching for sunscreen rather than another layer of clothes.
Even the much maligned duckpond end of the ground looked a picture.
The Southern Volts performance added to the occasion, despite losing the toss and being asked by Auckland captain Sean Solia to have a bat first.
It was Dale Phillips - brother of Black Cap Glenn Phillips - who proved to be the star with the bat.
He struck 107 from 99 balls to record his first List A century. His knock included seven fours and four sixes.
Phillips and Thorn Parkes (51 from 57 balls put on 128 at a run-a-ball for the fourth wicket as the Southern Volts pushed through to 302 from its 50 overs.
Onlookers, at the innings break, pondered if that would be enough.
When opener Finn Allen lent onto the back foot and punched the first ball of the chase in front of point for four, it looked effortless.
Then when Allen took Michael Bacon for two further boundaries through the offside to make it 12 runs from the first over the Southern Volts’ 302 didn’t look quite as daunting.
It was Travis Muller, with his first ball of the 2023/2024 summer, who produced the key play for the Volts when he had Allen, on 42, caught at midwicket trying to pull a shortish ball.
Will and Robbie O’Donnell then put on 103 runs for the third wicket to set up what looked set to be a tight finish.
However, it was hometown hero - or ‘King of Invercargill’ as some of Duffy's team mates were calling him - who broke the partnership.
After an impressive direct run out from Llew Johnson to remove Cam Flecther Michael Bacon eventually returned to wrap up the innings with a five-wicket haul as Auckland was bowled out for 260, 43 runs short of victory.
The good news for Southland cricket fans is they won’t have to wait another five years for the return of the Southern Volts.
The Volts will be back playing on Tuesday, December 12 when they take on Canterbury at Queens Park in Invercargill.
Three days prior to that the Otago Sparks women’s team will play two games against the Central Hinds on December 9 & 10.