Otago are facing a second heavy defeat unless they can muster a lot more fight in Christchurch during the next two days.
Canterbury lead the Volts by 231 runs with eight second innings wickets in hand.
Black Cap Henry Nicholls scored a century in the first innings to help his side post 313 for nine, while Otago crashed to be all out for 184.
Nicholls returned to torment the Volts a little more yesterday, with an undefeated 43 to help his side reach 102 for two.
On Saturday, he stroked 124 in a lengthy stay at the crease.
He swivelled into a series of pull shots and dispatched anything full through the covers.
The left-hander also shuffled down the wicket and clouted a delivery from Matt Bacon over long-on for six.
Keeper Mitch Hay put on 59 and Michael Rippon (36) and Kyle Jamieson (44) made valuable contributions as well.
Jake Gibson was the best Otago bowler, nabbing four for 58.
The ball which got Cole McConchie was a cracker. It nipped back and skittled off.
Dean Foxcroft took two for 36 from 13 tidy overs.
Otago opener Luke Georgeson was bowled for two. But Jacob Cumming (23) and Dale Phillips added 80 for the second wicket.
Phillips’ dismissal for 61 was a key breakthrough for Canterbury.
He sliced a drive to second slip. Angus McKenzie got the ball to shape away just enough, but it was not a great shot.
The other crucial wicket came when Fraser Sheat trapped Foxcroft lbw for 35. The delivery was threatening to miss leg, but the umpire saw it differently.
Foxcroft looked bemused, glancing back at his stumps and then back to where the ball pitched as if trying to calculate for himself where the ball would have ended up but for his pad.
Max Chu and Gibson nicked off for single figures and Jacob Duffy was trapped lbw by Michael Rae second ball for a duck. Jamal Todd was the last man out for 30.
Sheat had claimed four for 25, and McKenzie and Rae bagged a couple each as well.
— In the other games, Northern Districts medium pacer Kristian Clarke took a career-best six for 45 to help roll Auckland for 184 in their first innings.
ND made 295 in reply and Auckland were 81 for three at stumps on day two.
In Nelson, Wellington are in charge. They lead Central Districts by 265 runs with seven second innings wickets in hand.
PLUNKET SHIELD
Canterbury
M Boyle c Chu b Bacon 8
Z Foulkes c Chu b Gibson 13
H Nicholls c McKay b Foxcroft 124
C McConchie b Gibson 0
M Hay c Parkes b Duffy 59
M Rippon c&b Foxcroft 36
K Jamieson not out 44
A McKenzie c Chu b Gibson 8
F Sheat b Gibson 2
M Rae c Chu b McKay 9
L Carter absent
Extras (b 2, lb 3, w 3, nb 2): 10
Total (for 9 wkts, 94.5 overs): 313
Fall: 1-17, 2-21, 3-21, 4-158, 5-242, 6-251, 7-279, 8-291, 9-313.
Bowling: J Duffy 19-5-51-1 (1nb), M Bacon 20-4-73-1, J Gibson 18-2-58-4 (2w, 1nb), J McKay 15.5-1-61-1 (1w), D Foxcroft 13-1-36-2, L Georgeson 9-0-29-0.
Otago
L Georgeson b Sheat 2
J Cumming c Nicholls b Sheat 23
D Phillips c Foulkes b McKenzie 61
D Foxcroft lbw Sheat 35
T Parkes c Rippon b McKenzie 7
J Todd c Boyle b Foulkes 30
M Chu c Hay b Sheat 6
J Gibson c Hay b Rae 1
J Duffy lbw b Rae 0
M Bacon lbw b Jamieson 10
J McKay not out 2
Extras (lb 6, w 1):7
Total (61.3 overs):184
Fall: 1-7, 2-87, 3-96, 4-124, 5-135, 6-143, 7-156, 8-156, 9-182, 10-184.
Bowling: K Jamieson 12-2-41-1 (1w), F Sheat 14-6-25-4, A McKenzie 14-5-37-2, Z Foulkes 11.3-4-33-1, M Rae 10-1-42-2.
Canterbury
M Boyle c Chu b McKay 48
Z Foulkes b Duffy 5
H Nicholls not out 43
C McConchie not out 3
Extras (nb 3): 3
Total (for two wkts, 34 overs): 102
Fall: 1-9, 2-94
Bowling: J Duffy 10-0-40-1 (2nb), M Bacon 5-0-16-0, J Gibson 4-0-18-0, D Foxcroft 10-0-22-0, J McKay 5-1-6-1 (1nb).
