Canterbury are in a strong position to extend their lead atop the Plunket Shield ladder with just three rounds remaining.
Having taken three outright wins this season, the one-day champions hold an 11-point lead - a buffer they can extend after reducing Otago to 124-8 on the opening day of their eighth round clash.
Andy Ellis took 4-31 for Canterbury against a painstakingly slow Otago effort, whose innings has been anchored by an unbeaten 56 from 194 balls by opener Brad Wilson.
Ellis took three wickets with the short ball as Canterbury ripped through the Otago top order after a rain-delayed start. Otago's deficiencies when trying to aggressively play the short ball curiously coincided with their slow run rate, going at just 1.89 runs per over.
Canterbury's closest contenders for the Plunket Shield title are Northern Districts and Wellington, both of whom had mixed starts to their fixtures.