Otago cricket team

Otago Volts
	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.otagocricket.co.nz

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]

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

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

Men's Super Smash (2)

2008–09, 2012–13

First-class records

As of 28 October 2022^[7]

Team totals

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

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

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

Best inning bowling – 9/50 AH Fisher v Queensland at Dunedin, 1896/97
Best match bowling figures – 15/94 FH Cooke v Canterbury at Christchurch, 1882/83
Most wickets in season – 54 SL Boock, 1978/79
Most wickets in career – 399 SL Boock, 1973/74–1990/91

Contracted players

Ahead 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	(1993-04-13) 13 April 1993 (age 31)	Right-handed	Right-arm medium-fast
21	Leo Carter	New Zealand	(1999-12-10) 10 December 1999 (age 24)	Left-handed	Right-arm spin
12	Max Chu	New Zealand	(2000-03-21) 21 March 2000 (age 24)	Left-handed
6	Jacob Cumming	New Zealand	(2003-12-14) 14 December 2003 (age 20)	Left-handed	Right-arm medium
	Zac Cumming	New Zealand	(2005-07-04) 4 July 2005 (age 19)	Right-handed	Right-arm leg-break
32	Jacob Duffy	New Zealand	(1994-08-02) 2 August 1994 (age 30)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium	New Zealand central contract
11	Dean Foxcroft	New Zealand	(1998-04-20) 20 April 1998 (age 26)	Right-handed	Right-arm off-break
26	Luke Georgeson	New Zealand	(1999-04-14) 14 April 1999 (age 25)	Left-handed	Right-arm medium-fast	Captain. Holds dual Irish/New Zealand citizenship
7	Jake Gibson	New Zealand	(1997-08-07) 7 August 1997 (age 27)	Right-handed	Right-arm medium
31	Andrew Hazeldine	England	(1994-07-13) 13 July 1994 (age 30)	Left-handed	Left-arm fast	Holds dual British/New Zealand citizenship
36	Llew Johnson	New Zealand	(2000-02-01) 1 February 2000 (age 24)	Right-handed	Right-arm leg-break
17	Ben Lockrose	England	(2000-03-24) 24 March 2000 (age 24)	Right-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox
27	Jarrod McKay	New Zealand	(2000-06-08) 8 June 2000 (age 24)	Right-handed	Right-arm medium-fast
10	Travis Muller	South Africa	(1993-03-04) 4 March 1993 (age 31)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
86	Thorn Parkes	New Zealand	(2000-08-10) 10 August 2000 (age 24)	Left-handed	Right-arm leg break
8	Dale Phillips	South Africa	(1998-10-15) 15 October 1998 (age 26)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
	Glenn Phillips	New Zealand	(1996-12-06) 6 December 1996 (age 27)	Right-handed	Right-arm off-break	New Zealand central contract^[12]
	Jamal Todd	New Zealand	(2004-03-27) 27 March 2004 (age 20)	Left-handed	Right-arm off-break

Grounds

University 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

New Zealand

England

West Indies

Jason Holder

Netherlands

Ryan ten Doeschate

References

^ 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.

External links

Official website

[1] Canty happy with major sponsor, CricInfo, 30 September 1998. Retrieved 23 February 2024.

[es34-2] Otago cricket history, Evening Star, issue 21864, 30 October 1934, p. 4. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 23 February 2024.)

[mc04-3] 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.)

[odt37-4] Sixty years of cricket, Otago Daily Times, issue 23114, 13 February 1937, p. 22. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 23 February 2024.)

[acs13-5] 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.)

[6] Former Aussie cricketer takes reins at Volts, Otago Daily Times, 12 June 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

[7] Otago first-class records, CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 October 2022. (subscription required)

[8] Seconi A (2024) Volts stick with proven players, Otago Daily Times, 19 July 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

[9] Seconi A (2024) O’Connor appointed to NZC’s match referees panel, Otago Daily Times, 30 July 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

[10] O’Donnell and Carter headline men’s domestic contract movements, New Zealand Cricket, 18 July 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

[11] Ravindra and pace bowling trio earn first contract offers | Patel returns, New Zealand Cricket, 10 July 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

[12] Glenn Phillips joins Otago Volts, New Zealand Cricket, 1 June 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.

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