A short day and a Neil Broom century against his old team-mates should have made for a difficult time in the field at the University Oval for the Otago Volts yesterday.
But vital breakthroughs at the right time gave Volts coach Dimitri Mascarenhas a glimmer of hope going into day two today.
Delays getting moisture off the ground surface meant play started at midday, and bad light took players off the field just before 5.30pm, meaning only 62.3 overs were bowled before Canterbury ended the day on 197 for six.
However, that was long enough for Broom to bring up his 15th first-class century and also gave the Otago bowlers time to pick up wickets at crucial moments.
And it was seamer Roald Badenhorst, a late replacement for Mark Craig, who did the job, trapping Peter Fulton lbw for 19 in the last over before lunch.
He later returned to the attack to induce an edge from Broom when the stylish right-hander was on 119 just before the tea break.
Otago won the toss and chose to bowl on a pitch which had a green tinge to it and struck immediately when Leo Carter was caught behind for a four-ball duck.
Roneel Hira looked to chase the bowling, but was on six when he attempted to glance a ball off his hip, and was spectacularly caught down the leg-side by De Boorder, although Hira's post-dismissal gesticulations suggested he felt the ball came off the thigh pad.
Broom and Fulton then dug in for a 70-run partnership for the third wicket and were set to take the momentum to lunch before Badenhorst nabbed Fulton.
''All credit to Broomy and Fults to start with'' Mascarenhas said.
''They played really well and it was tough but thought our bowlers stuck at it really well. They didn't let the score get away from us - it was a pretty short boundary and the wicket looks pretty flat now.
''Roald, in his second game this season, got a bit of swing and got some rewards and got two pretty big wickets.''
Broom was joined after lunch by Henry Nicholls who produced a scratchy nine before falling to Neil Wagner.
Meanwhile, Broom was marching on, producing some lavish drives through the offside, appropriately bringing up his 50 with a push through the covers for three.
Wagner tested him after lunch with a short-pitched spell, but Broom proved unflappable as he worked his way through to his century off 157 balls against his old side when he worked a ball from Rhys Phillips off his legs for two.
He remained untroubled until he attempted to drive a ball on 117, and Ryan Duffy took a second slips catch - this time off Badenhorst.
Andrew Ellis had provided the best support before he was double Duffyed on 24, Ryan Duffy taking a catch at first slip off the bowling of brother Jacob.
Todd Astle and Cameron Fletcher will resume Canterbury's innings today, although Mascarenhas would prefer to be batting by lunch.
''Hopefully, we'll push on tomorrow morning, knock them over quickly and get out there and start having a bat.''
Auckland continued to put the foot down at Nelson Park in Napier on day two of its match against the Central Districts.
Having been battered by Colin Munro for 281 on Tuesday, the CD bowlers fared little better on day two as Brad Cachopa finished on an unbeaten 135 when the visiting side declared at 668 for seven.
Auckland bowlers Michael Bates and Tarun Nethula then took two wickets each to leave CD teetering at 148 for six when bad light forced an early end.
An Anton Devcich personal-best innings of 132 provided the backbone of Northern Districts' total of 240 at the Basin Reserve on day one of the visiting side's Plunket Shield match against Wellington.
Devcich hit 17 fours and two sixes during his 172-ball stay, but received minimal support, other than Mitchell Santner (23) and Ish Sodhi (29), as veteran Brent Arnel took six for 62.
Wellington will begin day two on 35 for one after losing Michael Papps for 18.
