Otago Volts batsmen Derek de Boorder and Michael Bracewell remained out in the middle looking darker than the shadows which had encroached on the pitch and robbed the home side of what would have been a fantastic win.
The final 20min of yesterday's drama-filled Plunket Shield match defied common sense in many ways. Play was stopped twice when a cloud rolled in front of the sun and dimmed the light over the University Oval.
The light meter reading dipped below the benchmark set on the first day and umpires Phil Jones and Wayne Knights had no other option but to call a stop to play until the light returned to what they considered a safe level.
The cruel irony being once the light improved enough for play to resume, the shadows from the poplar trees, which line the picturesque ground, had extended their evil tentacles all the way to the pitch, leaving the middle a hotchpotch of both good and bad light.
Play had been called to a halt on the two previous days for the same reason.
For the 50 or so people who were watching from the grandstand or grass embankments, the sight of the Canterbury team leaving on a glorious Dunedin evening and in light where you would not look foolish in sunglasses, made for farcical viewing and was an immensely disappointing end to what was an entertaining match.
Everyone had a view after the match. Johnson was furious. Jones said his hands were tied and Canterbury captain Peter Fulton backed the umpires' decision, saying the pair were only being consistent.
"In terms of the umpiring the precedent was set on the first day but there is a thing called common sense which comes into cricket," Johnson said.
"When you've got two umpires who have not been identified [for higher honours] you are always going to get those problems. I thought it was an absolute disgrace the way the game finished. So did the crowd."
What made it particularly galling for Johnson was the fact Otago had batted so brilliantly after Canterbury made a sporting declaration setting the Volts a target of 268 from 65 overs.
But with the shadows looming, the real race was always going to be with time and Otago fell just nine runs short, reaching 259 for five.
Fulton defended the decision of the umpires.
"The rules regarding bad light are there and have to be applied evenly regardless of the situation of the game," he said.
"You don't want a situation where one team is close to winning and the rules are applied differently."
Jones said the umpires had been in a no-win situation and had no other choice.
"We take one reading when we decide the light is unfit and that is applied throughout the game," Jones said.
"The players don't have any say after that. It is our decision."
The first reading was made on the opening morning and Jones said no-one complained about play being delayed then, something Johnson disputes.
Otago was charging to victory.
Hamish Rutherford (67) and Craig Cumming (57) put on 116 runs for the first-wicket and Sam Wells whacked a quickfire 30 from 16 deliveries.
Michael Bracewell was undefeated on 61 from 60 and de Boorder was on 12 from five.
Nine more runs and perhaps another couple of minutes play would have been enough for Otago to secure a wonderful victory.
Earlier, Canterbury resumed on 119 for three with Tom Latham undefeated on 38 and Dean Brownlie on 8. The pair batted positively with the visitors looking to build on their lead of 121.
Brownlie missed out in the first innings with a six-ball duck but he will rejoin the test side with some confidence, having compiled an aggressive innings of 51.
Latham also played a fine hand with a knock of 70. He scored the bulk of his runs on the leg side with Otago guilty of drifting into his pads too often.
Canterbury returned after lunch for a brief stint, adding a further 24 runs before captain Fulton declared.
At Colin Maiden Park in Auckland, rain took away the opportunity for an outright result in the clash between Auckland and Northern Districts, APNZ reported.
Poor weather dogged the game throughout the four days, and despite Auckland declaring its first innings at 43 for two in a bid to deny Northern bonus points for taking more Auckland wickets it was promptly put back into bat for its second dig.
The home side then mustered 31 for one before the weather finally closed in and play was called off for the day.
Northern held on to a 15-point lead in the Plunket Shield over Auckland and look a sound bet for the title.
In Wellington, no play was possible again as the match between Wellington and Central Districts finished in a draw.
In next week's final round of matches, Northern travels to Napier to meet Central at Nelson Park, Auckland hosts Canterbury at Colin Maiden Park and Wellington will meet Otago at the University Oval in Dunedin.
