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.

the team's captain is Dean Foxcroft.

Honours
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
 * Plunket Shield (13)

1987–88, 2007–08
 * The Ford Trophy (2)

2008–09, 2012–13
 * Men's Super Smash (2)

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 2023–24 season, 16 players were awarded contracts with Otago. In addition, Glenn Phillips held a New Zealand Cricket central contract for the season.

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
 * Gren Alabaster
 * Jack Alabaster
 * Bruce Blair
 * Stephen Boock
 * Neil Broom
 * Lance Cairns
 * Craig Cumming
 * Jacob Duffy
 * Walter Hadlee
 * Warren Lees
 * Brendon McCullum
 * Nathan McCullum
 * Noel McGregor
 * Alex Moir
 * Aaron Redmond
 * Mark Richardson


 * Ken Rutherford
 * Bert Sutcliffe
 * Glenn Turner
 * Neil Wagner
 * Jimmy Neesham

England
 * Matthew Maynard
 * Jonathan Trott
 * Steven Finn

West Indies
 * Jason Holder

Netherlands
 * Ryan ten Doeschate