It has been 27 seasons since Otago last won the first class title and the province will have to wait at least another year after defending champion Canterbury prevailed in a tight race.
Canterbury secured a comprehensive nine wicket win against Northern Districts at Mount Maunganui to clinch the trophy, while Otago came unstuck against Auckland at Colin Maiden Park.
The Volts posted 387 in the first innings and dismissed Auckland for 344 to earn a small lead of 43.
Auckland's win enabled it to nab second spot and Otago had to settle for third.
Northern finished in fourth place. In Napier, Wellington (fifth place) and Central Districts (last) completed their seasons with a draw.
While Otago retained a slim chance of winning the Plunket Shield heading into the final round, Canterbury nursed a 15 point lead and was always well placed to defend its title.
Ironically, Otago (17) secured more batting bonus points than the other five sides but the top order combined for just three hundreds.
Gloveman Derek de Boorder and test spinner Mark Craig scored the only other centuries.
Opener Aaron Redmond had a disappointing campaign in his final season. His haul of 395 runs at an average of 23.23 was well below his usual standard.
Fellow opener Hamish Rutherford posted five half centuries but never went on to post a hundred. Michael Bracewell was Otago's leading scorer, with 726 runs at an average of 42.70, but he finished outside the top 10 scorers in the tournament.
Jesse Ryder lost interest towards the end of the season but, with his natural talent, he was still able to average more than 50.
De Boorder was good value down the order with 604 runs at 50.33. However, strike bowler Jacob Duffy was the standout. He had a breakthrough season and finished as the leading wicket taker with 45 at an average of 24.06.
He took three consecutive five wicket bags to keep his side in the hunt for the title late in the summer. And his new found consistency has seen him rewarded with a trip to England with the New Zealand team. He will play in the warm up games before returning home.
It is a huge vote of confidence in the 20 year old. If he can add a yard of pace and continue to improve at the same rate, then a spot in the Black Caps side could be within reach.
Fellow strike bowler Neil Wagner went the other way. His haul of 36 wickets at 32.50 was a fair rather than impressive season. The left armer is used to dominating at this level but he was lacklustre at times and got carried away with short pitched bowling.
Fellow lefty Craig Smith's return to first class cricket after a long absence was pretty successful. He averaged more than 30 with the bat and chipped in with 17 wickets.
Injuries to all rounders Sam Wells, Jimmy Neesham and Craig curtailed their seasons.
Opening batsman Ryan Duffy played some valuable knocks and 18 year old Josh Finnie is a promising prospect with the bat. Both will get more opportunities in the future with Otago in a rebuilding phase.
