For about 90 minutes, it looked as though Otago might get an opportunity to fight for a spot in the final.
But the persistent drizzle which delayed the start of yesterday's preliminary final against Canterbury at Hagley Oval returned at 3.25pm.
The concerned looks on the faces on the Otago management quickly shifted to resignation when the rain got heavier.
With no reserve day scheduled, and the game unable to continue, Canterbury progressed to the final courtesy of having qualified in pole position.
Otago, meanwhile, was left to rue what if. It had Canterbury under enormous pressure at 108 for four from 26 overs after the game had been shortened to 37 overs apiece.
Otago strike bowler Jacob Duffy picked up two wickets in his opening spell and Neil Wagner captured the key wicket of Peter Fulton, trapping the veteran in front for two.
Canterbury rallied through Ken McClure (34 not out) and captain Andrew Ellis (27 not out). But Canterbury had managed to score at only 4.15 runs an over and Otago would have been confident of chasing down what potentially shaped as a very modest target.
The Volts never got that chance, though.
‘‘We're extremely disappointed,'' Otago coach Nathan King said.
‘‘The job that we had done so far today was really well done. We were placed in a good position - but we haven't got the opportunity to finish this game. I've said all along I'd rather go out there and lose the game than have a rained-off game.''
Asked if he would like to have seen a reserve day scheduled for the the match, King responded: ‘‘I think most teams would like that opportunity and if you were if our shoes it would be fantastic.
‘‘We've already seen it in the twenty20 competition when we were lucky to progress through straight to the final after our semifinal was rained out, so I guess we've been on both sides.''
Canterbury coach Gary Stead was fresh out of sympathy for Otago's plight but he did see sense in scheduling a reserve day.
‘‘I don't think we should have four teams in the semifinals when you've only got six teams for a start - but I do think there should be reserve days,'' Stead said.
He would like them scheduled for semifinals and the final.
‘‘We were in the same boat [as Otago] five or six years ago with the T20 final down there, so it is swings and roundabouts. And we got the benefit of having been more consistent through the round robin and it is certainly something that we identified at the very, very start of the campaign, of the need to start well given that it was a short and condensed tournament.''
While King was pleased with the form his side produced in the second half of the competition, he accepted his team had not started the campaign well.
‘‘There were some good performances in those early games from various individuals but we just struggled to piece everything together. As the competition has unfolded, that is what we've been able to do.''
With so many experienced players in the line-up, Stead said Otago was ‘‘the team we feared the most''.
Everyone in the Volts starting XI has played for either the Black Caps or New Zealand A.
Canterbury will travel to New Plymouth on Friday for Saturday's final against Central Districts at Pukekura Park.
Black Cap Tom Latham will be released to Canterbury if Brendon McCullum is ruled fit for the Black Caps third ODI against Pakistan in Auckland on Sunday.
