The newbies shone for Otago yesterday.
The Volts declared at 390 for seven and Central Districts were 166 for four at stumps on day two at Molyneux Park.
The game is firmly in the balance.
A couple of new faces helped gain parity.
Brad Kneebone struck a half century in his maiden first-class innings.
He will want to pack up the pitch and transport it back to Sunnyvale where he has played most of his cricket for Green Island.
Debutant Thomas O’Connor bowled a tidy spell and was rewarded with the scalp of the in-from Curtis Heaphy.
He is just 159 wickets behind his father Shayne O’Connor now.
The Volts resumed on 305 for five. Thorn Parkes was unbeaten on 74 and Kneebone had got through to 19.
Kneebone previously had a run as a concussion replacement for regular keeper Max Chu but did not bat in that game.
The right-hander did a good job getting through to stumps on day one with his wicket intact and quickly settled back in.
He was watchful, stoic, resolved.
Parkes warmed up again and swung a delivery from Ray Toole through square leg to the boundary. But on 85 he chopped a ball from Tyler Annand onto his middle stump.
The left-hander was denied a century again. He got through to 97 not out in his last knock.
It will be frustrating for him, but he has got into some good form.
With Parkes gone, Central Districts had an end open.
Travis Muller opened his account with a late dab he steered through the vacant slip cordon and down to the boundary.
The Stags plugged the gap at second slip and he hit the ball through that direction again, although a little wider this time. All valuable runs from Otago’s perspective.
Despite flirting with disaster, Muller was able to keep his wicket intact and he combined with Kneebone in an excellent stand of 70.
Kneebone was eventually bowled for 58 and Otago promptly declared.
Dean Foxcroft produced a brilliant piece of fielding to break Central Districts opening partner.
Brad Schmulian was gone for 16.
Put that down to the bowlers who had built pressure with some tight bowling.
Will Clark got an outside edge early and the in-form Curtis Heaphy top edged a hook shot and became Thomas O’Connor’s maiden first-class wicket.
That is one the young left-hander will always remember. He bowled impressively in his debut.
Tom Bruce clobbered a triple century in his last bat but had to go for 32. He got an edge to first slip. Jarrod McKay got it to nip away just enough.
Dane Cleaver (25 not out) and Josh Clarkson (49 not out) dug in and got the visitors through to stumps without further loss.
• Wellington rolled Canterbury for just 68 in Rangiora. Liam Dudding got it to hoop about and took four for 23.
Wellington was 163 for four in their second innings and lead by 445 runs at stumps on day two.
• Northern Districts is 288 for two in reply to Auckland’s first innings tally of 329 at Eden Park Outer Oval. Henry Cooper struck 148 for Northern.
OTAGO
J Cumming c Schaw b Findlay 62
D Phillips c Clark b Clarkson 39
L Carter c Cleaver b Annand 28
D Foxcroft c Cleaver b Toole 18
T Parkes b Annand 85
L Johnson run out (Schaw/Cleaver) 41
B Kneebone b Lennox 58
T Muller not out 38
Extras (3lb, 10w, 8nb) 21
Total (7 wkts dec, 119.5 overs) 390
Fall: 1-70, 2-141, 3-142, 4-177, 5-247, ), 6-320, 7-390.
Bowling: R Toole 27-7-60-1, T Annand 26-7-70-2 (4nb), T Findlay 20-1-99-1 (5w, 4nb), W Clark 4-0-19-0, J Clarkson 16-3-47-1, A Schaw 16-3-36-0, J Lennox 9.5-2-54-1, B Schmulian 1-0-2-0.
CENTRAL DISTRICTS
C Heaphy c McKay b O’Connor 33
B Schmulian run out (Foxcroft) 16
W Clark c Carter b Muller 3
T Bruce c Carter b McKay 32
D Cleaver not out 25
J Clarkson not out 49
Extras (1b, 5lb, 1w, 1nb) 8
Total (4 wkts, 70 overs) 166
Fall: 1-32, 2-40, 3-80, 4-87.
Bowling: M Bacon 16-6-31-0, T O’Connor 15-5-30-1, J McKay 14-3-43-1 (1w, 1nb), T Muller 15-7-26-1, D Foxcroft 8-1-26-0, D Phillips 2-0-4-0.
