They did it last summer and the Central Districts Stags have no intentions of bucking that trend this season when it comes to making sporty declarations in a bid to eke out results.
"We got to the 365 mark in 104 overs so we're pretty happy," Devon Hotel-sponsored CD coach Heinrich Malan said last night after the hosts declared for five wickets on a benign batting Saxton Oval wicket in Nelson in their opening four-day Plunket Shield match against the Otago Volts.
The visitors were 117 in 35 overs of their second dig, establishing a 231-run lead with all wickets intact after a first innings total of 479.
The Stags have bagged four batting bonus points while the Volts have three in the first dig but the bowling bonus points favoured Otago 2-1.
"We've pulled the pin much earlier in anticipation of trying to get a result tomorrow," Malan said after CD opener Greg Hay provided the ideal platform with his eighth first-class century (136 from his half ton overnight).