OV vs AA 18th Match Prediction

OV vs AA Team Previews

Otago Volts

The last time that Otago got its hands on the trophy was more than a decade back, and they haven’t appeared to be in contention since then. However, this season, they have collected 10 points from 4 matches, and have a good shot at making it to the finals.

Otago faced Canterbury in their latest match and were the underdogs according to the pre-match odds offered on betting sites. However, some excellent bowling by Michael Rippon and Jacob Duffy saw them restrict the number 1 team to 160. Chasing a tricky target against the likes of Matt Henry, Henry Shipley, and Ish Sodhi, the Otago captain Hamish Rutherford carried his bat through the innings, scoring a gritty knock of 76 to see his team through for their second win of the season.

The middle-order batting for Otago remains a cause of concern, as the likes of Glenn Phillips, Dale Phillips, and Dean Foxcroft are yet to strike form. 

Auckland Aces

The Aces were off to a miserable start this season, losing 4 of the 5 games it played, while one match was washed out due to rains. However, they managed to secure their first full points of the season on Thursday as they beat the Central Districts by 3 wickets.

Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, the Aces rattled the top order for the Central Districts, thanks to a brilliant opening spell by Ben Lister, who picked up 4 wickets for 40 runs in his spell of 10 overs. Lister was supported well by Matt Gibson and Danru Ferns, who kept things tight at the other end, thereby putting the Central Districts under pressure.

Chasing a modest total of 147, the top order for the Aces faced another collapse, but Robert O’Donnell played a captain’s knock of 54 to steer his team out of danger, and in the end, the Aces prevailed by 3 wickets. Despite the win, Auckland is still firmly placed at the bottom of the points table, and a top-2 finish seems highly unlikely for them at this stage.