North Otago skipper, Graeme Ballantyne will have plenty of time over the rest of the season to contemplate his decision to send Southland in to bat after winning the toss at Queen's Park, Invercargill on Saturday morning.
Southland proceeded to bat right through until an hour before stumps and on the way set all sorts of records.
The opening stand between Tait and Bennett realised a massive 357 runs before Tait was finally dismissed at 21 minutes to six for 206.
The declaration came 11 minutes later with the total at 378, with Bennett on 145 and Donelan on 6.
Tait hit 22 fours and one six, while Benett hit 12 fours and 3 sixes.
Runs were not slow in coming, for the opening stand of 357 came up in 369 minutes.
Appropriately Ballantyne took the only wicket to fall having Tait caught by Patton.
North Otago bowled 105 overs and three balls during the day.
Julius again, although unsuccessful in the chase for wickets was pretty economical, conceding 64 runs from his 24 overs, while Ash Flannery off his 16 overs conceded 44 runs. Ballantyne used eight bowlers in all in the quest of those all so elusive wickets.
North Otago lost both openers before stumps on the first day with Allan Sandri (13) going with the total at 29 and Nigel Cartwright went at 20 minutes past 7 for 27 with the score at 46.
John Hills and Graham Johnson saw North Otago through to stumps at 62 for 2.
North Otago batted right through the first session of play on the second day added only 49 runs, losing a further four wickets in the process.
Mark Julius' wicket was the last to fall midway through the second session of play with the total at 164.
Graham Johnson top scored with 45, while Todd Patton once again produced good form with the bat adding 44.
Peter Skelt was the Southland destroyer taking 5 for 58 off 35 overs while Donelan took 4 for 63 off 63 overs.
Forced to follow on North Otago's second innings began at 4 minutes to 3.
It was a disastrous start with openers Sandri and Cartwright both going in the first two overs.
Hills and Johnson once again displayed fighting qualities adding 83 the second wicket with Johnson, the first of the pair to go for 48.
Ballantyne and Hills added a further 20 runs before Ballantyne was dismissed with the score at 108.
From then on in it was basically one-way traffic.
Hills finally went for a timely 52 as the last wickets tumbled for the addition of only 16 runs.
North Otago was finally dismissed for 124.
Donelan and Skelt were again the bogey bowlers for Southland with Donelan finishing with 5 for 40 and Skelt, the amazing figures of 4 for 7 off 7 overs.
Short Scorecard(s)
Representative - Cyclone Hawke Cup - Zone Series
North Otago vs Southland at Queen's Park, Invercargill
Southland 378 ( R.N. Tait 206, Bennett 145 )
North Otago 164 ( N.D. Cartwright 27, A.D. Sandri 13 )
North Otago 124 ( E.J. Hills 52, G. Johnston 48, Donelan 5-40, Skelt 4-7 )
First innings win to Southland