Their long drought in the first-class competition stretches all the way back to the 1987-88 season.
But with two rounds remaining, they still have a shot at winning the trophy in its centenary season.
Left-armer Thomas O’Connor powered the Volts to a nine-wicket win with a 13-wicket haul against Auckland at Eden Park Outer Oval.
Central Districts thumped Northern Districts by an innings and 27 runs in Napier, and Canterbury dispatched Wellington by 201 runs at the Basin Reserve yesterday.
Black Caps test captain Tom Latham smacked an undefeated 101 from 111 balls in the second innings to help set Wellington a colossal target of 426 for the win.
Tom Blundell (98 not out) and Nathan Smith (42) mounted a late rally after the home team collapsed to 85 for seven. But Wellington were eventually dismissed for 224.
Fraser Sheat (four for 71) and Sean Davey (three for 56) did the bulk of the damage for Canterbury.
The results have led to the points table tightening up.
Canterbury lead the standings on 72 points.
Northern Districts are in second place on 69 points. Central Districts (65, third), Otago (65, fourth) and Auckland (60, fifth) are firmly in touch, while Wellington (31, last) are out of the running.
There is a maximum of 40 competition points still up for grabs, which means five teams can still win the competition with two games to play.
But Canterbury have the reins. They host Central Districts in Rangiora next week and travel to Auckland for their final match later this month.
Otago’s remaining two games are both in Dunedin.
The fixture against Northern Districts is an opportunity to climb further up the ladder and, just as importantly, deny a competitor valuable points.
The Volts wind up their campaign with a match against Wellington, who have struggled this summer.
Auckland finish their campaign with a trip to the capital to play Wellington, and their home game against Canterbury on March 27 could prove decisive for both teams.
The Stags play Northern Districts in Whangarei in the last round, which could prove crucial as well.
Otago’s best chance to win the competition in recent times was in 2012-13, when they were still in contention right up until the final day of the season. They needed 200 to beat Wellington at the Basin Reserve, but were bowled out for 145.
