The Otago cricket team, nicknamed the Volts since the 1997–98 season,[1] are a New Zealand first-class cricket team which first played representative cricket in 1864.[2] The team represents the Otago, Southland and North Otago regions of New Zealand's South Island. Their main governing board is the Otago Cricket Association which is one of six major associations that make up New Zealand Cricket.[3]
 Otago Volts logo | |
| Personnel | |
|---|---|
| Captain | Luke Georgeson |
| Coach | Ashley Noffke |
| Team information | |
| Founded | 1864 |
| Home ground | University Oval |
| Capacity | 3,500 (can be increased to 6,000 by use of temporary seating) |
| History | |
| First-class debut | Canterbury in 1864 at Dunedin |
| Plunket Shield wins | 13 |
| The Ford Trophy wins | 2 |
| Men's Super Smash wins | 2 |
| Official website | www |
Cricket was first played in Otago in 1849, the year after the province was settled by Europeans, and the Otago Cricket Association was founded in 1876.[2][4] The Otago representative team played in the first match which is considered to have first-class status to have been played in New Zealand, a January 1864 fixture with Canterbury which was part of a four team tournament which also included Southland and an English team led by George Parr which was touring Australia.[2][3][5]
The modern Otago team plays most of its home games at the University Oval in Dunedin, but occasionally plays games at the Queenstown Events Centre, Queen's Park Ground in Invercargill and Molyneux Park in Alexandra. The team plays first-class, List A and Twenty20 matches against other New Zealand provincial sides, although in the past has also played against touring sides.
As of August 2024[update] the team's head-coach is Ashley Noffke[6] and the captain is all-rounder Luke Georgeson.
Honours
edit- Plunket Shield (13)
1924–25, 1932–33, 1947–48, 1950–51, 1952–53, 1957–58, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1987–88
- The Ford Trophy (2)
1987–88, 2007–08
2008–09, 2012–13
First-class records
edit
- As of 28 October 2022[7]
Team totals
edit- Highest total for – 651/9 declared v Wellington at University Oval, Dunedin, 2012/13
- Highest total against – 777 by Canterbury at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, 1996/97
- Lowest total for – 34 v Wellington at Carisbrook, Dunedin, 1956/57
- Lowest total against – 25 by Canterbury at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, 1866/67
Individual batting
edit- Highest score – 385, B Sutcliffe against Canterbury at Lanaster Park, Christchurch, 1952/53
- Most runs in season – 1,027 GM Turner, 1975/76
- Most runs in career – 6,589 CD Cumming, 2000/01–2011/12
Highest partnership for each wicket
edit- 1st – 373 B Sutcliffe and L Watt v Auckland at Auckland, 1950/51
- 2nd – 254 KJ Burns and KR Rutherford v Wellington at Oamaru, 1987/88
- 3rd – 306 SB Haig and NT Broom v Central Districts at Napier, 2009/10
- 4th – 239 NB Beard and NT Broom v Auckland at Hamilton, 2012/13
- 5th – 266 B Sutcliffe and WS Haig v Auckland at Dunedin, 1949/50
- 6th – 256 NF Kelly and MW Chu v Central Districts at Dunedin, 2021/22
- 7th – 190 NG Smith and MJG Rippon v Northern Districts at Dunedin, 2019/20
- 8th – 165* JN Crawford and AG Eckhold v Wellington at Wellington, 1914/15
- 9th – 208 WC McSkimming and BE Scott v Auckland at Auckland, 2004/05
- 10th – 184 RC Blunt and W Hawksworth v Canterbury at Christchurch, 1931/32
Bowling
editContracted players
editAhead of the 2024–25 season, 16 players were awarded contracts to play for Otago. In addition, Jacob Duffy and Glenn Phillips were both awarded New Zealand Cricket central contracts for the season. Other, non-contracted players may play for the side during the season.[8][9][10][11]
- As of 16 August 2024
| No. | Name | Nationality | Birth date | Batting style | Bowling style | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | Matt Bacon |  New Zealand |
13 April 1993 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | |
| 21 | Leo Carter | New Zealand |
10 December 1999 | Left-handed | Right-arm spin | |
| 12 | Max Chu | New Zealand |
21 March 2000 | Left-handed | ||
| 6 | Jacob Cumming | New Zealand |
14 December 2003 | Left-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| 3 | Zac Cumming | New Zealand |
4 July 2005 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg-break | |
| 32 | Jacob Duffy | New Zealand |
2 August 1994 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | New Zealand central contract |
| 11 | Dean Foxcroft | New Zealand |
20 April 1998 | Right-handed | Right-arm off-break | |
| 26 | Luke Georgeson | New Zealand |
14 April 1999 | Left-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | Captain. Holds dual Irish/New Zealand citizenship |
| 7 | Jake Gibson | New Zealand |
7 August 1997 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| 31 | Andrew Hazeldine |  England |
13 July 1994 | Left-handed | Left-arm fast | Holds dual British/New Zealand citizenship |
| 36 | Llew Johnson | New Zealand |
1 February 2000 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg-break | |
| 17 | Ben Lockrose | England |
24 March 2000 | Right-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | |
| 27 | Jarrod McKay | New Zealand |
8 June 2000 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | |
| 10 | Travis Muller |  South Africa |
4 March 1993 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | |
| 86 | Thorn Parkes | New Zealand |
10 August 2000 | Left-handed | Right-arm leg break | |
| 8 | Dale Phillips | South Africa |
15 October 1998 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | |
| Glenn Phillips | New Zealand |
6 December 1996 | Right-handed | Right-arm off-break | New Zealand central contract[12] | |
| Jamal Todd | New Zealand |
27 March 2004 | Left-handed | Right-arm off-break |
Grounds
editUniversity Oval is used in Dunedin, with occasional matches in Invercargill (Queen's Park) and at the Queenstown Events Centre. Many matches have been played at Molyneux Park in Alexandra in recent decades, particularly during the Christmas-New Year holiday season. The warm, dry summer climate of Central Otago can make for better cricketing conditions than the wetter coastal areas. Oamaru (Whitestone Centennial Park) has been used in the past but not recently.
Notable former players
edit|
New Zealand
|
England West Indies Netherlands
|
References
edit- ^ Canty happy with major sponsor, CricInfo, 30 September 1998. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Otago cricket history, Evening Star, issue 21864, 30 October 1934, p. 4. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 23 February 2024.)
- ^ a b McCarron A (2010) New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010, p. 4. Cardiff: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. ISBN 978 1 905138 98 2 (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 5 June 2023.)
- ^ Sixty years of cricket, Otago Daily Times, issue 23114, 13 February 1937, p. 22. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 23 February 2024.)
- ^ Carman AH ed (1981) A guide to first class matches played in New Zealand, 1863 to 1980, pp. 13–14. Nottingham: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. (Available online. Retrieved 23 February 2024.)
- ^ Former Aussie cricketer takes reins at Volts, Otago Daily Times, 12 June 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Otago first-class records, CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 October 2022. (subscription required)
- ^ Seconi A (2024) Volts stick with proven players, Otago Daily Times, 19 July 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Seconi A (2024) O’Connor appointed to NZC’s match referees panel, Otago Daily Times, 30 July 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ O’Donnell and Carter headline men’s domestic contract movements, New Zealand Cricket, 18 July 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Ravindra and pace bowling trio earn first contract offers | Patel returns, New Zealand Cricket, 10 July 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Glenn Phillips joins Otago Volts, New Zealand Cricket, 1 June 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
