Otago is still chasing its first win in the 50-over format after slumping to its third Ford Trophy loss in Christchurch yesterday.
The 47-run loss to table-topping Canterbury at Hagley Oval leaves the Volts entrenched at the bottom of the ladder with four games remaining.
Chasing Canterbury's modest 257 for seven, the Volts' quest for a maiden win was crippled by the regular loss of wickets.
They never recovered from a dreadful start, when Michael Bracewell was dismissed for a golden duck with the third delivery of the innings.
He was caught behind by Cameron Fletcher off the bowling of Edward Nuttall, and was joined in the pavilion by Brad Wilson a few overs later, when he was dismissed by former Timaru Boys' High School paceman Hamish Bennett for nine.
Hamish Rutherford (49 runs), Jimmy Neesham (34) and Neil Broom (23) were all guilty of making starts but failing to kick on and get their team home.
After Otago lost Broom and was reduced to 40 for three with fewer than nine overs bowled, Neesham and Rutherford put their heads down and added 57 for the fourth wicket.
The Volts' hopes were always going to rest on the pair putting on a big stand, but Neesham wasted his start when he was caught by Canterbury captain Peter Fulton from the bowling of Andrew Ellis.
Rutherford and Sam Wells added 48 for the fifth wicket, before Rutherford was dismissed short of a half-century.
At 146 for five after 31.3 overs, the match was still within Otago's grasp. But Canterbury kept taking wickets and the required run rate kept on rising.
No8 Mark Craig hit 32 from 38 balls down the order, but his side's specialist batsmen left too much work to do and Otago was bowled out for 210 with 23 balls in hand.
After Canterbury won the toss and elected to bat, the Volts would have fancied their chances of restricting Canterbury to less than 257, after a flurry of early wickets.
Left-arm seamer Neil Wagner nicked out opener Leo Carter two balls after opening the match with a wide.
Jacob Duffy picked up the key wicket of Fulton, who scored 81 runs in Canterbury's 65-run win in Alexandra on New Year's Eve, a few overs later, as Canterbury found itself in strife at five for two.
Wagner made it eight for three when he bowled Michael Davidson in the seventh over, leaving Ellis and Todd Astle with a rebuilding job.
The pair started their 86-run partnership cautiously, before upping the ante and increasing the run rate.
Ellis took 17 off a Wagner over, including a towering six, before Wells caught him off the bowling of Warren Barnes for 47.
Astle went on to score a crucial 59 from 85 balls, a knock that included just two boundaries but ensured his side set a reasonable target.
Cameron Fletcher (47 not out) and Cole McConchie (45) also chipped in with a well-timed 73-run partnership from 62 balls at the end of the innings.
Wagner was the pick of the Otago bowlers, finishing with three for 42 off his 10 overs, while Barnes continued his impressive first season with the Volts, taking two for 30 from his allotted overs.
Otago's next game is against the Northern Knights, in Whangarei on Sunday.
In yesterday's other games, a brilliant 120 from 107 balls by Daryl Mitchell was not enough for the Northern Knights to chase down Central's colossal 363 for nine.
The Knights fell 81 runs short of completing their second-highest run chase, as they were all out for 282 in 45.5 overs.
At the Eden Park Outer Oval, the Auckland Aces defended their 288 for nine to beat the Wellington Firebirds by 12 runs.
