Northern Districts has got itself into a strong position thanks to some lusty blows at the end of its first innings.
No 10 batter Fred Walker smashed an undefeated 79, and all-rounder Scott Kuggeleijn clubbed 91 to help the visitors reach 277.
That got them a handy lead of 96 runs.
Otago threw away four wickets at the top of its second innings but rallied through Dean Foxcroft and Max Chu.
The pair have put on an unbroken stand of 88 to get the Volts through to 156 for four at stumps on day two.
Otago lead by 60 and will need to expand on that significantly to have a chance at victory.
The pitch has flattened out into a good batting wicket and coach Dion Ebrahim is hopeful his side can continue to fight hard.
"We fought back brilliantly at the end there and have given ourselves an opportunity to get back ahead in the game," he said.
"Looking back on the day, we probably gave ND 50-60 runs more than we intended. That was down to some really good lower order batting by them and some misses by us with the ball.
"But the wicket is showing it is a good one to bat. We’ve battled well to get back in, but to get ahead [today] both Foxcroft and Chu will need big totals."
As for the top order batting, Ebrahim was diplomatic.
"A big focus for us has been to try and be a bit more positive against spin ... and with that some of the shot selection might have been a bit naive at times."
Northern resumed on 84 for five.
Otago picked up the wicket of captain Joe Carter for 52 , Neil Wagner flashed an edge to slip for a duck, and Jacob Duffy knocked the leg pin out of the ground to bowl debutant Tim Pringle for two.
The visitors were eight down and trailing by 22. The game
was beautifully balanced until Kuggeleijn and Walker tipped the scales.
They teed off and combined in a damaging ninth-wicket stand.
Walker blasted 13 fours and two sixes in a devastating 63-ball onslaught.
He had a high score of 13 in his two previous first-class games, so it was quite a step up.
The partnership changed the course of the game.
Otago’s top order flailed.
Take your pick between loose, soft and feeble to describe the departure of the first four wickets.
Hamish Rutherford’s lean run continued. He scooped a delivery from Wagner to Brett Hampton for 16.
Fellow opener Jacob Cumming looked to get after Pringle but spooned a catch to mid-off on 26.
Dale Phillips clonked a return catch to Henry Cooper, having batted for nearly an hour for his six runs.
Thorn Parkes (3) completed the miserable set by lobbing the ball gently to Hampton.
The fact Foxcroft and Chu were largely untroubled getting through to stumps without further loss only underscored how poor the batting at the top had been.
Chu crashed the second to last ball of the day through the covers to the boundary to bring up his third first-class half century.
He will resume this morning on 51, with Foxcroft unbeaten on 44.
Canterbury is 262 for four in reply to Auckland’s tally of 438 at Hagley Oval. Opener Chad Bowes made 105 and Henry Nicholls was stumped on 89.
Wellington is edging ahead in Palmerston North. It is 106 for three in its second innings with a lead 153 in a low-scoring game against Central Districts.
OTAGO
First innings 181
NOTHERN DISTRICTS
First innings
J Raval run out (Gibson) 9
H Cooper c Foxcroft b Duffy 1
B Popli c Chu b Duffy 6
J Carter lbw b Rippon 52
T Seifert c Phillips b Duffy 12
B Hampton b Rippon 10
S Kuggeleijn c Phillips b Rippon 91
N Wagner c Cumming b Gibson 0
T Pringle b Duffy 2
F Walker not out 79
K Clarke c & b Mckay 12
Extras (1w, 2nb) 3
Total (63.5 overs) 277
Fall: 1-5, 2-12, 3-26, 4-55, 5-70, 6-118, 7-123, 8-159, 9-238.
Bowling: J Duffy 22-2-71-4 (1w), J Mckay 4.5-0-32-1 (1nb), T Muller 11-4-33-0 (1nb), M Rippon 17-2-86-3, D Foxcroft 5-1-27-0, J Gibson 4-0-28-1.
OTAGO
Second innings
H Rutherford c Hampton b Wagner 16
J Cumming c Kuggeleijn b Pringle 26
D Phillips c & b Cooper 6
D Foxcroft not out 44
T Parkes c Hampton b Cooper 3
Max Chu not out 51
Extras (4b, 3lb, 2w, 1nb) 10
Total (for four, 60 overs) 156
Fall: 1-39, 2-50, 3-62, 4-68.
Bowling: N Wagner 12-3-28-1, S Kuggeleijn 8-2-28-0 (1w), B Hampton 4-0-6-0 (1w, 1nb), TPringle 15-4-42-1, H Cooper 9-2-20-2, F Walker 11-3-21-0, J Raval 1-0-4-0.
