Otago had to settle for two competition points when its State Shield match with Auckland was rained off without a ball being bowled at the University Oval on Saturday.
While the defending champion would have preferred pushing for the win, the points from the abandoned match have put it into second place on the competition table.
Central Districts dropped to third place after losing by 132 runs to Canterbury.
Northern Districts had a one-wicket last-ball win over Wellington at the Basin Reserve and has consolidated its position at the top of the table with 25 points from eight matches.
Canterbury, with its bonus-point win, leapfrogged Wellington (12) and Auckland (14) and moved to fourth place with 16 points.
Otago coach Mike Hesson was philosophical after spending the best part of the day sitting in the sheds watching the rain.
"Well, we won the toss," he said.
"It's disappointing, but there is not a lot we can do about it."
Otago is still in charge of its destiny and will secure a home semifinal if it wins its remaining two matches, against Central Districts in New Plymouth on January 21 and Wellington in Invercargill on January 25.
It can overhaul Northern Districts and secure a home final if Northern loses its remaining matches.
With 10 points still up for grabs, none of the six sides is out contention, although it looks bleak for Wellington and Auckland.
Peter McGlashan smacked successive sixes off the last two balls in Northern Districts's one-wicket win over Wellington on Saturday.
McGlashan twice swatted international paceman Mark Gillespie over the fence at the Basin Reserve as Northern chased down the home side's 289 for nine.
The final over had started with Northern Districts requiring 10 runs and Wellington needing three wickets.
Gillespie bowled Tim Southee and Trent Boult with his first and second deliveries before tailender Brent Arnel scurried through for a single off the next.
McGlashan failed to get bat on ball to the fourth delivery but then hit the sweet spot twice in a row to finish the match unbeaten on 39 off 30 balls to give his team the win.
Earlier, Wellington batsman Neal Parlane overcame an ankle injury to register his maiden domestic one-day century.
The 30-year-old hit a career-best 105 to pilot his team to its imposing total.
Shane Bond complemented the fine work of his batsmen to help Canterbury rout Central Districts on Saturday.
The 33-year-old former international pace spearhead showed he had lost little of his bite as he took three for 25 at QEII Park in Christchurch.
Pursuing Canterbury's 298 for six, the visitors were dismissed for 166 in just 33.1 overs after finding themselves in disarray as Bond, with a strong wind at his back, ripped the top off their innings.
