Otago got one part of its game right yesterday but it was not its batting or its bowling.
The Volts had an opportunity to secure a playoff berth with a win against Canterbury at the University Oval but produced a rather flat performance notable for a series of poor shots and a hot and cold bowling effort.
Brad Wilson secured a brilliant run out and Nathan McCullum, Sam Wells and Jimmy Neesham made athletic grabs in a superb fielding effort.
McCullum's catch to get rid of Henry Nicholls was particularly impressive.
He ran back the best part of 30m, looking over his shoulder the whole way, dived and grasped the ball.
It was a wonderful catch that inspired bowler Warren Barnes, who produced two cracking yorkers later in the over to account for Peter Fulton and Ronnie Hira.
Andrew Ellis watched the hat-trick ball pass by off stump harmlessly.
He went on to smack 37 from 27 deliveries and Cameron Fletcher top-scored with 61 from 56 to help Canterbury reach 152 for nine.
Otago had one partnership of any note. Neil Broom (39) and Jimmy Neesham (24) put on 48 for the fourth wicket but the Volts were restricted to 129 for nine and lost by 23 runs.
Derek de Boorder slapped 24 but the target always looked out of reach after Hira bowled both McCullum and Broom in the 13th over.
McCullum tried to swipe the ball away to leg and Broom walked past a straight delivery. Neither shot would make the highlight reel.
Earlier, Hira had bowled Otago opener Anaru Kitchen when he tried to cut a delivery too close in, and he also picked up Neesham's wicket and finished with four for 18.
Otago did not bowl particularly well either. Aiden Blizzard's departure owed more to the athletic work of Wells, who took a fine diving catch in the deep.
Jacob Duffy got to stick the wicket in the column but he dropped short once too often during his first spell.
Barnes had his moments early on as well.
Nicholls (39 from 28) took advantage when he could. He got down on one knee and swept a couple of memorable sixes.
He really made that shot look very easy.
With Fletcher set at the other end, the visitors appeared to be building towards a big total.
McCullum's catch put a grenade under Barnes and there is no finer sight in cricket than to see a stump sent cartwheeling.
Ellis survived the hat-trick but his side had started the 11th over at 79 for one and by the end of it was 80 for four.
But with Fletcher's wicket still intact, the visiting side was able to claw its way past 150.
Fletcher would have carried his bat had it not been for a wonderful throw from the outfield from Wilson.
He hit the stumps from perhaps 60m to run the opener out with the last act of the innings.
Otago's next assignment is against Auckland at the University Oval on Thursday.
