Cricket: Otago Volts chase down Central Stags in Plunket Shield

Doug Bracewell's return to the Stags could not prevent the Volts chasing down their target for their Plunket Shield game at the University of Otago Oval.

The Central Stags with Whanganui player Ben Smith couldn't get home against the Otago Volts, who pulled out a late three wicket win in their Plunket Shield match in Dunedin on Friday.

In a four-day game that lost a full day's play to rain, there were two tactical declarations, as the Volts made 266/7 in response to the Stags 297 all out, Smith contributing 13.

The Stags then declared after a quick-fire 256/2 in 43 overs, led by Will Young (Taranaki) making 133 not out, to set the Volts a tempting target of 288 in a minimum of 76 overs at the University of Otago Oval.

By lunch, the Volts had already lost their first wicket at 35/1 off 11 overs, and then by tea the question was whether or not they would shut up shop to survive the session, as they were sitting on 144/5.

Hawke's Bay's Ajaz Patel (3-97) had seen the most success of the Stags bowlers, including getting the Volt's South African batsman Dean Foxcroft (51) to hole out to a good catch in the deep.

Match winner Michael Rippon (95 not out) and Nathan Smith (28) put on a 41-run stand before Hawke's Bay's Blair Tickner (2-58) trapped Smith LBW at 180/6 with just over 20 overs remaining and the run rate in the mid-five's.

But Rippon wouldn't be denied, as after reaching his 50 off 80 balls, his next 45 runs were made off just 31, getting set inside the last ten overs while Dale Phillips (30 from 52) held the line.

Rippon would back away from the stumps to swipe Patel and returning Black Cap Doug Bracewell both to and over the fence, hitting 12 boundaries and two sixes.

Both of his sixes came after Phillips lost his stumps to Bracewell, but by then the pair had put on 84 runs in just over 17 overs, and Rippon knew he could still go for it without risk of defeat, with three and a half overs remaining.

Captain Jacob Duffy took five runs from six deliveries to feed Rippon the strike, and he whacked Bracewell to the boundary to bring up 291/7 with an over to spare.

It was the first time the Volts have outright beaten the Stags in a Plunket Shield game since 2011, and puts a massive hole in their chances of making a title three-peat, with the Wellington Firebirds now 26 points clear on top of the table.

Even if the Stags beat the Firebirds upcoming in Napier, Wellington would still take a six point lead into the last round of the summer, when the Stags will play the Volts again