Canterbury captain Gary Stead (35 not out) today led his team to a maiden win at the Village Green at the eighth attempt, and more importantly broke Canterbury's 17-game streak without winning a first-class match that dates back to February 1999.

Canterbury's players knew they never had a better chance giving Stead a second victory in his 26th game in charge. In the end he hit the winning runs himself as Canterbury triumphed at 6.23pm by four wickets.

Although Canterbury have just one new player in the team this season he is proving to be a key man, with a match-winning performance here today.

Paul Wiseman, in his second game for his new team, took five for 99 off 30 overs and five balls to give Canterbury a total of 131 to chase for victory.

In the State Championship match with Otago, Canterbury had been on top since the outset, but closing the deal on a win was unknown territory for several of their young players.

Wiseman almost forced a win at Rangiora against champions Wellington last week, but, as the off spinner told CricInfo, "Unfortunately we missed out by a couple of millimetres in the end."

Today nothing could stop the rejuvenated Cantabrians from grabbing the six points.

Canterbury's new slow bowler was referring to a ball he bowled to Wellington's Andrew Penn that clipped the off bail and then sat back down again.

"That would have left us about 20 overs at number 10 and 11 which would have made the difference," Wiseman said.

It was different today, as the upbeat Canterbury team took regular wickets and Otago batted recklessly at times.

Otago, beginning the day at 30 without loss, lost wickets regularly, with no batsman passing 23 other than Village Green specialist Andrew Hore, who block-bashed his way to 70 with four sixes, all hit off Wiseman. All but one of Hore's four fifties and two centuries have come on the true Queen Elizabeth II Stadium pitch.

Wiseman, who took his 13th first-class five-wicket bag today said: "The wicket at Rangiora was pretty flat and didn't turn a lot. This had a little bit more in it and the batsmen were a little bit more attacking, which gave us chances as well. That's probably the difference. It was turning a little bit and bouncing a little bit. That makes a lot of difference to me than one that doesn't."

The former Otago man said, "I'm enjoying the change of scene. It's a good bunch of guys and some good players are coming through. There's some really good enthusiasm and some really good team spirit here."

"It's been tough not playing for Otago because they're great friends of mine so it's been a mixed bag. It's been great playing for a new team and being in good positions," the 31-year-old 14-Test veteran continued.

Getting one over on his former team mates was no problem for Wiseman. "It's always good taking wickets no matter who it's against," he said.

As for the international team, for whom Wiseman had "a little jaunt" last month, when Daniel Vettori was injured, "I don't even think about it," he said. "Thank God Dan has got fit for New Zealand because he has put us in a great position of winning a Test series over there," he concluded.

Canterbury's selectors will be hoping Vettori stays that way and keeps Wiseman, who was at the wicket when the winning runs were hit, out of the Black Caps to make sure their new prized asset is available to keep win more games for them like he did today.

© CricInfo