By stumps, Otago was 26 for one with captain Craig Cumming and Greg Todd both unbeaten on 11, and the match evenly poised.
McSkimming claimed his eighth five-wicket bag in firstclass cricket when Cumming hauled in a sensational catch to send Brandon Hiini back to the sheds. McSkimming exploited the bowler-friendly conditions on the portable pitch to finish with five for 56 from 21 overs.
The Otago spearhead was on the verge of national selection at the beginning of last season but an injury-plagued summer set the 28-year-old back. While he has had the odd good day this year, he has not been at his consistent best.
But yesterday he returned to form with a fine spell of opening bowling, removing Michael Papps, Peter Fulton and Iain Robertson before the meal break.
Papps went first when he shuffled across to off stump and was trapped in front. Fulton dangled his bat outside off and Robertson steered a delivery into the slips.With first innings points probably enough to secure Canterbury a place in the State Championship final against Wellington, the visitors would have been mortified when the toss was lost and the openers found themselves batting on a green seamer under dull grey skies.
Two first-class matches in Dunedin have ended inside two days this summer and by lunch the game looked destined for another early finish with Canterbury reeling at 79 for five.
But Canterbury rallied through its South African duo of Johann Myburgh and Kruger van Wyk.
The pair counter-attacked, adding a valuable 82 for the sixth wicket in quick time.
Canterbury coach Dave Nosworthy said he would have bowled first but was pleased with the character his side showed to fight back and post 247.
‘‘I was happy with our total. I would have preferred they were two down so we could assert more pressure,'' Nosworthy said.
‘‘But they have to bat on the pitch and hopefully it is overcast again [today] which makes a lot of difference.''
Nosworthy said the portable pitch was a bit fresher than normal but not unplayable.
Canterbury used the lunch break to talk about the need to be more positive and had its best period of play after the break, with Myburgh and van Wyk riding their luck.
‘‘At lunch we decided to be a bit more positive and it seemed to work for us. We like to go at a good run rate and get the game advanced so there is time to get a result.''
Looking like they had given up on the idea of survival, the pair smote promising left-arm seamer
Craig Smith, whose first five overs cost 36 runs. Fast bowler James McMillan also came in for some punishment before McSkimming removed Myburgh with the ball of the day.
Myburgh (60) shouldered arms to what he thought was a delivery passing harmlessly by off but it nipped back and mangled his stumps.
Van Wyk was uncharacteristically aggressive in his entertaining innings of 59. The diminutive wicketkeeperbatsman found the gap in the slip cordon once or twice but played some glorious drives, racing through to 50 off 35 balls.
All-rounder Michael Davidson made a pest of himself, scoring an ungainly 45 to guide Canterbury past 200.
