That long tail did not last long.
Otago slumped from a healthy position of 196 for four overnight to be all out for 257 in Rangiora yesterday.
Canterbury was in powerful position at 153 for two in reply at stumps on day two.
Will Williams (two for 41), Fraser Sheat (three for 55) and William O’Rourke (three for 56) helped cut off a promising Otago innings.
The flower never emerged from the bud. Otago coach Dion Ebrahim described it as an "anticlimax".
"I thought the foundation and position that our top order worked hard for was not capitalised on," he said.
"There was a few loose shots played by our middle our lower order.
"We felt we were 50 runs short of what would have been a par score considering the position we were in."
Jacob Cumming and Max Chu resumed on 15 and 14 respectively.
Chu could not get reset and edged to third slip for 20.
That opened up an end and Canterbury went to work on Otago’s lower order.
Jake Gibson got a tickle on an attempted pull shot and was caught down the legside before he could open his account.
Cumming battled through to 37 before he sliced an edge to gully.
Jacob Duffy swatted 24 from 31 to provide a little meat in what was an otherwise lean contribution from the last five batters.
O’Rourke wrapped up the innings by knocking out Michael Rae’s off stump.
An ugly shot to end a disappointing session of batting.
Canterbury went to lunch at 14 without loss having had very much the better of the morning.
Otago claimed a couple of wickets in the afternoon session.
Jarrod McKay muscled his way to the crease and got the ball to nip away just enough to brush the edge of Ken McClure’s bat, and Cole McConchie was trapped lbw for 14 by Gibson.
But Chad Bowes made his way through to a half-century. He dispatched Rae for a series of early boundaries.
The Otago fast bowler either dropped too short or over tossed.
Jack Boyle joined Bowes and they added 74 runs before play ended early due to bad light.
Canterbury will have had some thinking to do overnight, though.
Auckland strengthened its spot at the top of the table with 10-wicket win against Wellington at Eden Park Outer Oval.
For Canterbury to stay in touch it will need an outright win. It is a situation which calls out for an early declaration today.
"They’ll need to make the play and potentially have to make a bold play. We are still looking to win the game but the ball is in their court."
About 20 overs are being lost each day to bad light, which potentially means there are 140 overs remaining.
In Whangarei, Northern Districts posted 496 for six declared after openers Jeet Raval (209) and Bharat Popli (150) put on 334 for the first wicket — a Northern Districts record for any wicket.
Central Districts was 131 for two in reply at stumps on day two.
OTAGO
H Rutherford b O'Rourke 70
M Renwick c McClure b Davey 17
D Phillips c Davey b McConchie 63
N Kelly c Hay b Sheat 3
J Cumming c Bowes b Sheat 37
M Chu c McClure b Williams 20
J Gibson c Hay b Williams 0
J Duffy c Foulkes b O'Rourke 24
B Lockrose b Sheat 0
M Rae b O'Rourke 8
J Mckay not out 0
Extras (4b, 2lb, 5w, 4nb) 15
Total (all out, 98.5 overs) 257
Fall: 1-39, 2-158, 3-161, 4-163, 5-213, 6-217, 7-231, 8-237, 9-257, 10-257.
Bowling: W Williams 23-8-41-2; F Sheat 21-6-55-3 (2w); S Davey 21-4-60-1 (1w, 4nb); W O'Rourke 17.5-4-56-3 (1w); Z Foulkes 12-2-37-0 (1w); C McConchie 4-3-2-1.
CANTERBURY
C Bowes not out 79
K McClure c Chu b Mckay 21
C McConchie lbw b Gibson 14
J Boyle not out 32
Extras (1b, 4lb, 1w, 1nb) 7
Total (2, wkts 49.1 overs) 153
Fall: 1-56, 2-79.
Bowling: J Duffy 17-5-36-0 (1w); M Rae 15-3-61-0; J Mckay 9.1-2-32-1; J Gibson 8-2-19-1 (1nb).
