Otago's task is to bat out the final day for a draw in the Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts at Hamilton today.
Otago will be struggling to survive after a Northern Districts run-making spree that added 413 runs to its overnight total.
When Northern finally declared at 533 for six wickets Otago was given the unenviable task of scoring 440 to win the game.
Otago lost its openers early and was struggling at stumps at 12 for two after 10 overs.
Michael Bracewell was on 4 and Neil Wagner on 5.
Fast bowler James Baker removed both openers, with Aaron Redmond out for 1 and Hamish Rutherford for a golden duck.
Northern added 413 runs for the loss of only four wickets with the highlight being a 283-run partnership between former Black Cap Daniel Flynn amd Corey Anderson.
It was a partnership that rewrote the Northern Districts record books and gave Otago a forgettable day in the field.
The most significant record was to get the highest partnership for any wicket between the two teams in a first-class match.
The previous record of 260 was between Otago openers Rob Lawson and Mohammad Wasim at Carisbrook in the 2002-03 season.
It was a special milestone for Flynn, who scored his 11th first-class century for Northern. It was a Northern Districts record.
He batted for 357 minutes and faced 247 balls before being caught by Ian Butler off off-spinner Mark Craig, who took two for 122 off 28.5 overs.
Flynn was an an aggressive mood and hit 17 fours and clouted the ball over the boundary six times in his innings of 182.
It was also a special day for Anderson who scored his maiden first-class century. He was at the wicket for 271 minutes and faced 215 balls for his 167. He hit 28 fours.
He was out with the total at 437 when he was caught behind the wicket by Derek de Boorder off Ian Butler.
Butler was the most economical of Otago's bowlers and took two wickets for 89 off 24 overs.
In Napier, Central Districts is in complete control of the match against Auckland at Nelson Park.
Auckland began the day at 80-4 in the first inningsbut was bowled out for 210 as Andrew Lamb finished with 4-65, while No8 Bruce Martin was the unlikely top-scorer for the visitors, with an unbeaten 56.
After Central Districts captain Kieran Noema-Barnett enforced the follow-on, Auckland went back in to bat and finished the day on 210-7, still 10 runs behind after CD made 430-9 declared in its first innings.
Auckland will need a huge effort from its tail-enders to set Central Districts a total of any substance or avoid an innings defeat.
