Woodcock, Papps' tons, Patel nine-for hand Wellington win

Centuries from Luke Ronchi and openers Luke Woodcock and Michael Papps, along with a match haul of nine wickets from offspinner Jeetan Patel shaped Wellington's 92-run win over Otago.

After Otago's first-innings declaration of 279 for 8 had given Wellington a 49-run lead, Woodcock and Papps set about consolidating that with an opening partnership of 235 runs. The runs came at a fair clip in the stand which lasted 57.1 overs. Woodcock scored 131 for his sixth first-class century off 186 deliveries with 18 fours and a six. Papps, on the other hand, cleared the boundary five times during his 181-ball 132, his 28th first-class century.

That stand was instrumental in allowing Wellington set Otago a target of 355 to win. Brad Wilson scored a steady 57 at the start, and fifties from Neil Broom and Derek de Boorder kept the chase alive after Otago had stumbled to 127 for 4. Broom and de Boorder added 100 runs for the fifth wicket but Broom's dismissal for 85 triggered a late order collapse that saw Wellington seal the win.

Otago lost their last six wickets for only 35, and Patel wreaked most of the damage taking four of the six wickets in that period. His returns of 6 for 77 complemented first-innings figures of 3 for 59. His wickets in the first-innings carved out Otago's middle order, accounting for Broom, de Boorder and Anaru Kitchen, who top-scored for the side with 72. Apart from Kitchen's 72, and efforts from Wilson (60) and Broom (48), the other Otago batsmen failed to build on their starts.

Earlier, Wellington were shepherded to 328 in their first innings by Luke Ronchi's unbeaten 116 and a 50 from Michael Pollard. Left-arm quick Bradley Scott had taken three quick wickets at the start to reduce Wellington to 89 for 4 after they had been put in to bat. The middle and lower order, however, rallied. Pollard and Tom Blundell added 56 runs for the fifth wicket and Blundell followed it by pairing with Ronchi to add 92 for the sixth wicket. The two partnerships took Wellington closer to 250 and Ronchi then steered the last four wickets into adding 91 runs, to take the score to 328. Ronchi's 116, his 15th first-class century, came off 131 deliveries with 18 fours.