The Volts chased the Stags around the ring for the majority of the four days, but had to settle for a draw.
Volts coach Josh Tasman-Jones felt his team had controlled the game.
"It was just unfortunate we lost as much time as we did," he said.
"I thought the boys bowled really well [on Monday afternoon] on a pretty flat surface with an older ball.
"You can’t fault the attitude or the effort out there. We tried a few things but the ball just didn’t quite go to hand and we couldn’t land the knockout blow."
The visitors resumed on 197 for three and were 351 for eight when bad light ended play early.
Curtis Heaphy was the key.
Otago dropped an early chance to get rid of the in-form opener.
They did not have to wait too much longer.
However, with every passing minute, the poor weather inched closer.
Heaphy succumbed to the short-ball trap. He looked like he just got bored and had a lash. His attempted uppercut ended in Max Chu’s gloves.
He departed for 81, having spent almost six hours at the crease during the second innings. Heaphy missed out on a fourth hundred in consecutive first-class games and his departure triggered a mini collapse.
Josh Clarkson spooned a catch to Zac Cumming before he could get off the mark, and Will Clark got an edge on 2.
Jacob Cumming pulled off a wonderful diving catch to his left in the gully.
Central had slipped to 256 for six and they led by only 61.
But Dane Cleaver and Jayden Lennox, who came in as a replacement player for Ajaz Patel, added 71 for the seventh-wicket to stretch the lead to 132.
The runs came quickly as well.
Lennox holed out for 39 from 55 balls before the lunch break. He got on to a couple of nice drives but did not look comfortable with the ball honing in on his ribs.
Cleaver was unbeaten on 70. He had a couple of near misses. A French cut narrowly missed his leg stump, and he threaded the needle between the keeper and leg slip to notch a boundary.
The weather window closed during the lunch break.
Play resumed for 30 minutes at 4.30pm but it got too dark and play was eventually abandoned with Cleaver stranded on 93.
Otago will feel the most aggrieved, having dominated the game.
They had to soldier on without seamer Toby Hart, who pulled up lame with a bruised heel and was only able to bowl three overs during the second innings.
Ultimately, too many overs were lost. And an opportunity to post a second outright win, before the competition breaks and resumes again late in February, vanished.
Northern Districts completed a win by an innings and 28 runs against Wellington in Whangarei.
Tim Pringle took eight wickets in the match and Jeet Raval posted a century to help set up the victory.
Canterbury demolished Auckland inside three days in Rangiora.
There are just nine points separating the top five sides. Auckland (49) lead from Canterbury (48), Northern Districts (47), Central Districts (40), Otago (40) and Wellington (18).
OTAGO
First innings 416/7dec
CENTRAL DISTRICTS
First innings 224
Second innings
C Heaphy c Chu b McKay 81
T Bettelheim c Georgeson b Ferns 12
B Schmulian c Parkes b McKay 78
D Foxcroft c J Cumming b Georgeson 27
D Cleaver not out 93
J Clarkson c Z Cumming b Ferns 0
W Clark c J Cumming b Ferns 2
J Lennox c Lockrose b Georgeson 39
O Mabin c Boyle b Ferns 0
T Annand not out out 2
Extra (8b, 1lb, 6w, 2nb) 17
Total (for 8 wkts, 101 overs) 351
Fall: 1-27, 2-147, 3-191, 4-238, 5-242, 6-253, 7-324, 8-338
Bowling: J McKay 23-3-96-2 (1nb, 2w), L Georgeson 27-10-79-3 (1nb, 3w), B Lockrose 21-2-60-0, T Johnson 2-1-4-0, J Boyle 2-0-9-0, D Ferns 23-3-82 (1w), T Hart 3-0-12-0.
Result: Draw
