Weather saves Otago versus Canterbury in Plunket Shield clash

Otago and Canterbury have drawn their second game after a long-winded rain shower on Day 4, ensuring the game’s end at Hagley Oval. Henry Nicholls shone, scoring 124 and 61 in the Cantabrians' innings.

Canterbury got off to a lacklustre start when Boyle and Foulkes scored 8 and 13 respectively while Cole McConchie went for 0 off 3. Mitch Hay dug in to score 59 while Henry Nicholls scored a mammoth 124. Rippon and Jamieson chipped in scoring 36 and 44 while the tail were all out for a combined total of 19 with Leo Carter not taking to the field due to injury. Otago all went at around 3 an over with Jake Gibson ending up as the pick of the bowlers with a 4-wicket bag.

Otago didn't get off to a much better start with Luke Georgeson and Jacob Cumming going for 2 and 23. Dale Phillips and Dean Foxcroft recovered from the tricky start, knocking 61 and 35 respectively. Then Thorn Parkes went for 7 and the whole order collapsed while Jamal Todd in his second FC game scored 30. Fraser Sheat got 4 with an economy rate of 1.79.

Canterbury had a strong, stable base to build on after Zak Foulkes went for 5 with Boyle falling short of a 50-scoring 48. Cole McConchie and Henry Nicholls piled on the runs scoring 108 and 61 while Mitch Hay came in to score 82 at the tail end while Rippon scored 19 off the few overs he was out there. Then the declaration came with Canterbury scoring 333/4. No Otago bowler deserves a mention apart from Duffy who got a 2-fer while the other went for big runs with no wickets.

Otago's second inning wasn't much better to start with Georgeson, Cumming, Phillips and Parkes not getting over 30 scoring 18, 29, 19, and 6. Matt Bacon as night watchman scored 21 while surviving the night while Jamal Todd scored 67 and dug in for 177 balls to ensure Otago could get a draw. Max Chu scored 38 off 110 with Gibson getting 22 off 49. The Tail end had no one of note apart from the injured Dean Foxcroft who scored 18 off 18. However, the rain came to save Otago after a miserable game. Scoring 254/9 with Kyle Jamieson getting a 4-for after an uneventful inning from Otago.

The overall look at the game was that Canterbury was all over Otago throughout the whole game with the bookies odds not changing favour once throughout the whole game. Improvements will be needed from an Otago side, which needs to get back into winning ways after last season. Canterbury deserved to win their Blackcaps pulling them over the line.