Otago vs Wellington, 19th Match, The Ford Trophy 2025-26

Date: February 6, 2026

Summary: Wellington triumphed over Otago by 56 runs in an engaging encounter at University Oval, Dunedin. Wellington set a competitive total of 269 for 9 in their 50 overs, with Nick Kelly's steady 81 anchoring the innings. In response, Otago was bowled out for 213 in 45.5 overs, with Luke Georgeson top-scoring with 52. Liam Dudding's impressive bowling for Wellington, taking four wickets, was instrumental in securing the victory.

Detailed Narrative

Wellington won the toss and elected to bat first. Their innings was marked by a solid performance from Nick Kelly, who played a crucial role by scoring 81 runs off 118 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes. His innings provided the backbone for Wellington's total of 269/9. Nick Greenwood also contributed significantly with a rapid half-century (54 off 25 balls), showcasing aggressive intent with ten fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 216.

The Otago bowlers had their moments; Matthew Bacon was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/43 from his ten overs, while Ben Lockrose and Zac Cumming chipped in with two wickets each.

In their chase, Otago struggled to build momentum against a disciplined Wellington bowling attack. Despite a fighting half-century from Luke Georgeson (52 off 64 balls), Otago fell short of the target. The Wellington bowlers were led by Liam Dudding, who delivered a match-winning spell taking four wickets for just 31 runs in his six overs. Jesse Tashkoff also made vital contributions with the ball, claiming three wickets for 43 runs.

The match featured notable fielding efforts as well, including two catches by Luke Georgeson and Tom Blundell each. Zac Cumming displayed all-round skills with both bat and ball.

In summary, Wellington's balanced team performance—highlighted by Nick Kelly's batting and Liam Dudding's incisive bowling—proved too strong for Otago, sealing a convincing win in this Ford Trophy fixture.