The Volts had got into a great position at the halfway mark. They had restricted the home side to a very attainable 219 for nine at the Basin Reserve.
But Otago was not destined to see any action at the batting crease. The heavens opened up just before the game was set to resume after the lunch break and was eventually called off.
The teams picked up two points each, which was not a good result for either side.
Wellington moved to 16 points with one game to play. Its grip on a playoff spot is purely mathematical.
The Volts sit on 18 competition points and their campaign is teetering.
They need to beat Northern Districts in Dunedin on February 14 and hope other results go their way.
A dejected Volts coach Dion Ebrahim felt this side had kept Wellington "well below what was a par score on the wicket".
Matt Bacon took three for 35 and Dean Foxcroft’s two for 30 represented another fine day out for the spinner. Travis Muller also nabbed a couple of wickets in what was a tidy performance from the Volts' bowling unit.
‘‘Matt Bacon bowled exceptionally well at the top with the new ball and then coming back to close off the innings,’’ Ebrahim said.
‘‘His opening spell restricted them from a run-rate point of view and he managed to get the breakthrough.’’
That breakthrough was the key wicket of Tom Blundell, who spooned a catch to Jake Gibson with a shot he would want back.
Luke Georgeson got the scoreboard moving when he smacked three consecutive boundaries off the bowling of Michael Rae. He forged a promising 54-run partnership with Nick Kelly.
But Foxcroft broke the resistance when he dismissed Kelly for 18 and also captured the wicket of Georgeson for 48.
Nathan Smith (24 from 20) looked dangerous right up until he was cleaned out by Muller, while the last pair of Ollie Newton (11 not out) and Peter Younghusband (17 not out) saved further blushes with an undefeated stand of 23 to steer their side past 200.
Spinner Ben Lockrose, the batting hero from Sunday’s Super Smash win against Central Districts, produced a wonderful piece of fielding. He hit from side on to run out Troy Johnson for 17.
The Volts would have been favourites to run down the target and were deflated with the result.
It would have also been bitterly disappointing for Hunter Kindley, who was on debut for Otago. That may have been his only chance this season and he did not get to bat and show what he is capable of at the top level.
