Canterbury posted 173 for six. It was more of decent tally than a formidable one.
Either way, it was still plenty. Scratch out the 62 Hamish Rutherford contributed at the top of the Otago order and you are not left with much.
The Volts were restricted to 137 for eight — a 36-run loss.
The defeat has left the side with one win from four completed games and in desperate need of some positive results.
Canterbury openers Chad Bowes and Ken McClure put Otago’s attack under immediate pressure.
Bowes picked up three fours in the opening over. That is not how Jacob Duffy would have wanted to start.
Angus McKenzie got clobbered for back-to-back sixes and Matt Bacon was pummelled for 14 in the last over of the powerplay.
The home team was 57 for none and had a tremendous platform from which to launch.
But the boundaries dried up and the wickets started falling.
McClure went first for 34 and Bowes brought up 50 and then checked out as well.
Black Caps left-hander Henry Nicholls held up his end but he had a series of very brief partnerships.
Cole McConchie, Cameron Fletcher, Leo Carter and Henry Shipley added just seven among them.
Matt Henry helped make up some ground with some heavy hitting at the death.
He tonked a couple of sixes and a boundary in a 23-run cameo, and Nicholls was also unbeaten on 49.
They added a valuable 34 from 15 to get their side past 170.
McKenzie, who got smashed early, rallied nicely to finish with two for 28. Wrist spinner Michael Rippon (one for 28) was tidy as well.
Rutherford clipped Ed Nuttall for three consecutive boundaries but otherwise the Volts staggered their way through the powerplay.
Josh Tasman-Jones and Neil Broom hit towering catches and departed early.
A sharp piece of glove work accounted for Nick Kelly (22), who looked dangerous during his stint in the middle.
But he lost his balance momentarily and Fletcher pounced.
That left the visiting side behind on runs and down on wickets — a rather unhelpful combination.
Rutherford eased to 50 off 33 balls down the other end — his 17th-half century in the format — and then lost another team-mate.
Anaru Kitchen swivelled into a pull shot and got nothing but an edge.
Llew Johnson tried to slog Todd Astle’s wrong’un and was bowled.
Could anyone stay with Rutherford?
That might have been all it would have taken.
But with each wicket to fall a little more pressure settled on the captain’s shoulders.
The required run rate felt like it was doubling every other over, and with five to go the Volts needed 72 runs.
Too many. Too many by half.
Otago hosts Wellington in Queenstown tomorrow and Auckland the following day.
