"It was a relatively inexperienced side so it was good to put my hand up to see the boys home," Worker said, after CD came into the round amid shocking revelations that veteran opener Jamie How and allrounder Kieran Noema-Barnett were dropped for the rest of the T20 campaign because of poor stats.
"For the likes of Dane Cleaver it was an awesome experience," he said of Cleaver and fellow Manawatu batsman Dave Meiring who made their T20 debuts.
It was his best T20 knock although not his highest score. Worker scored an unbeaten 89 for Canterbury against Auckland Aces two summers ago.
Worker said the bowlers were magnificent in restricting Otago to 120 on the wicket.
"It was tough conditions so the boys did well with the fielding," he said, adding the weather was beyond their control.
CD were going to bowl first had they won the toss despite Otago winning the toss and padding up.
All the four teams competing in Napier, including Northern Districts Knights and the Auckland Aces, observed a minute's silence, with the smattering of fans, as a mark of respect for the late Phil Hughes, the Australian batsman who died on Thursday after a bouncer struck him on the head in a domestic game in Australian.
The game started with a hiss and lightning at 7.10pm but five balls, and as many runs, later from spinner Ajaz Patel, the fizz went out with rain persisting in thunderstorm fashion.
The weather gods were playing a cruel game of their own.
The rain subsided seconds after head groundsman Phil Stoyanoff and his crew got the covers back on.
Bolts of lightning drew oohs and aahs from the fans but the "Boundary Brass" combination of Chris Scudder (trombone) and Mark Keelty (cornet) kept boredom away.
Scores of children followed their sounds to the Harris Stand akin to the Piped Piper of Hamlin.
"New Zealand Cricket asked us a few months ago to put it together so we're giving it a go," Keetly said of the Wanganui duo who have played in Hamilton, Auckland and are now on track for the playoffs following Napier.
Play eventually resumed an hour later with Patel finishing off his sixth delivery for another run.
But a different kind of lightning struck the Volts batsmen six runs later.
Opener Aaron Redman lost his furniture to opening CD seamer Ben Wheeler in his last ball of his first over.
Three balls later, No 3 Michael Bracewell saw the flashing neon lights as Seth Rance's swing beat his bat for a two-ball duck.
Opener Iain Robertson contributed 11 before departing to a Bevan Small delivery, holing out to Patel with a pitch-wedge shot.
It was Patel's turn to strike a ball shy of the ninth over.
Brad Rodden deposited 14 runs from as many balls although he had survived a vociferous leg-before-wicket appeal from the left-arm spinner a delivery earlier before George Worker went on his knees to snaffle a fading catch.
It wasn't until 27 balls later that Rance asked No 6 Josh Finnie to waltz with him but the batsman missed a step to another swing ball for 12 runs.
A dot ball later, former CD player Roald Badenhorst was run out without scoring from fellow Manawatu debutant Dave Meiring.
The small crowd echoed in the empty stadium a ball later when top scorer and Otago captain Ryan ten Doeschate tried to sweep seamer Andrew Mathieson down leg only for Rance to catch him for 31 runs from 29 balls.
Bradley Scott was CD's last scalp, halted for 15 runs when he came off second best to Wheeler's arm after the umpire had removed him from the CD bowling attack for two above-waist deliveries.
Wheeler had three balls remaining as the Southerners amassed 120-8 in 17 overs.
CD started tentatively, with opener Greg Hay fishing outside the off stump before frustratingly feathering opening seamer Jacob Duffy to wicketkeeper Bracewell for two runs.
Worker scored CD's first boundary two balls later with William Young at the crease.
Young lost his wicket for eight runs, caught and bowled to Otago schoolboy Josh Finnie in a dream domestic debut.
Finnie also won the battle of debutants when he snared No 4 Meiring in similar fashion for two runs to leave CD at 3-48, needing 52 runs off a gettable 48 balls.
With 30 balls remaining and 45 runs required, CD looked good but Duffy returned to trap captain Kruger van Wyk lbw for 12 runs.
Two quick boundaries from Worker off spinner Nick Beard's over yielded 12 runs of the over and a fielding error saw CD patiently stride to victory.
No 6 Dane Cleaver, 17 not out of 13 balls, hit a four to put Otago out of their misery.
The bowling effort was a collective one.
"It was good to get the boys home with chip ins from Dane and Kruger," Worker said.
At Cornwall Park, Hastings, CD Hinds beat the Northern Spirit by 8 wickets based on the D/L Method in their opening T20 game.
The women's teams play 50-over matches this weekend in the opening round of their domestic season at the same venue.
