# Otago cricket team

The Otago cricket team, nicknamed the Volts since the 1997–98 season, are a New Zealand first-class cricket team which first played representative cricket in 1864. 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.
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. 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.
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 the team's head-coach is Ashley Noffke 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

### 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.
    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 25) | 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 21) | Left-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| 3 | 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 25) | 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 32) | 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 28) | Right-handed | Right-arm off-break | New Zealand central contract |
| 73 | 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.