Last week was a backward step for an Otago team which has shown some signs of progress.
The Volts were routed by an innings and 42 runs by an in-form Wellington team at the Basin Reserve, or should that be the Bunsen Reserve.
The venue offered the spinners plenty.
Former Otago player Michael Bracewell claimed eight for 41 as the Volts collapsed to be all out for 99 in their second innings.
Earlier in the game Wellington wrist spinner Peter Younghusband and Volts captain and part-time off spinner Dean Foxcroft took advantage of the turn on offer to pick up five-wicket bags.
It was a tough surface to bat on but Otago will look back at some of those second-innings dismissals and know they could have done better.
The humbling defeat came off the back of the nine-wicket win against Canterbury at Molyneux Park.
The Volts have generally been more competitive in the Plunket Shield than their lowly position on competition standings suggest.
They will round out their campaign with a match against Central Districts which gets under way in Napier tomorrow.
The best they can salvage from the season is to avoid the wooden spoon.
But there was a run the middle of the campaign where the Volts could have had a shot at snapping their 36-year title drought in the Plunket Shield.
The 50-run loss to Central Districts in Dunedin in November was a lost opportunity. They were set 305 to win that one but were bowled out for 254.
They were in strong position at 235 for five but lost their last five wickets for 19 runs.
The following week they got into another good position against Northern Districts in Dunedin.
They rolled the visitors for 117 in their first innings and ended up chasing 214 for the win which should have been very doable.
But Neil Wagner (four for 38) and Zak Gibson (three for 46) teamed up to help dismiss Otago for 179.
Luke Georgeson was left stranded on 65.
It was a fragile batting effort which essentially summed up their season.
Dale Phillips (542 runs at 41.69) has been the most consistent of the Volts batters with one century and four half centuries.
Wicketkeeper Max Chu (423 runs at 32.54) is the only other Volts batter with an average above 30 in the campaign.
The bowling unit, however, has created opportunities to win games. One player in particular has been instrumental.
Jacob Duffy is at or near the top of the bowling standings most seasons and this summer has been no exception. He has nabbed 30 wickets at an average of 21.87. He is the joint leading wicket-taker with his old Volts team-mate Nathan Smith, who has taken 30 wickets at 17 for Wellington.
Plunket Shield
Napier, tomorrow, 10.30am
Otago Volts: Max Chu, Jacob Cumming, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Luke Georgeson, Jake Gibson, Andrew Hazeldine, Ben Lockrose, Travis Muller, Thorn Parkes, Dale Phillips, Jamal Todd.
