Andrew Penn has never known a day, in a bowling career hampered by injuries and disturbed by very public crises of confidence, like the one he enjoyed at the Basin Reserve today - where Wellington beat Canterbury by 31 runs.

Penn surfed the cricket equivalent of the perfect wave on a day filled with many extraordinary and some historic events to achieve career-best figures of eight for 21 and to wreck Canterbury's chase for a victory total of 152. His return was the fifth-best by a Wellington bowler in all first-class matches.

Penn destroyed Canterbury's innings in one long spell of perfectly-tuned fast bowling with the new ball. He had never bowled a longer spell in his first-class career - his physical condition would often prohibit it.

But on this magical day at the Basin Reserve, Penn couldn't have been separated from the ball with a crowbar. He bowled and he bowled - and all of his overs in that opening upwind, into a stiff northerly breeze.

Wicket after wicket fell as he maintained a difficult length, as he found seam movement and irregular bounce.

When he was finally rested, reluctantly, after some 17 overs, he had taken seven for 16 and Canterbury was 33/7.

When Penn finally retired to the boundary, Canterbury's innings began to slowly revive. Having survived his onslaught, they crawled from the trenches and launched a counter attack on Wellington.

Peter Fulton and Ryan Burson joined in a partnership for the eighth wicket which was troublesome at first and then passed, through degrees, to frustrating, threatening and finally terrifying. Matthew Bell worked his bowlers as Penn rested but could find no way of separating a pair who were steadily playing Canterbury back into the match.

The target of 152, which had seemed unusually imposing at the start, had begun to seem achievable and Wellington's nerves had again come under assault.

Finally, with hope abating, they made a crucial breakthrough through Matthew Walker, who trapped Burson lbw. He had made 39 in 96 minutes and in a partnership of 73 with Fulton, had carried Canterbury to 106/8.

There were then only 46 runs needed for victory and Fulton, who had batted with enormous determination, remained at the crease. But he was unable to forge a partnership of sufficient strength with Canterbury's last two men in to achieve what would have been a marvelous fightback victory.

Stephen Cunis was run out for 0 by a throw from the boundary by James Franklin and Canterbury was 109/9.

No 11 Wade Cornelius stayed with Fulton for 24 minutes, scoring no runs but courageously holding up one end, till Penn was finally recalled to the attack to deliver the coup de grace.

He did so at 6.05pm at the end of an extraordinary day when he bowled Cornelius and ended the Canterbury run-chase at 120. Fulton was left 46 not out and had been at the crease in a superb fighting innings for exactly three hours.

Penn had his eight for 21 and Wellington had its third outright win in successive games. As with all four of its outrights this season, the win was achieved after Wellington had conceded a first innings lead.

In this case that lead was only 11 runs but that was still a considerable advantage in a match of such narrow margins. Wellington had been out for 182 in its first innings and Canterbury for 193 in reply.

Wellington managed 162 in its second innings after being 98/6 and Canterbury failed on a deteriorating pitch to achieve its victory target. By the third day of this match the pitch had become shifty and treacherous. The ball still seamed, it still turned but the judgement of line and movement, of pace and bounce, was an impossible science.

Penn crashed through the Canterbury innings with relentless accuracy and command of movement.

He dismissed Robbie Frew for 0 when Canterbury was one and then struck the critical double blow on which Wellington's victory was largely built. He removed Michael Papps and Gary Stead - the leading scorers in Canterbury's first innings - with successive deliveries in his 11th over.

Papps made 68 in the first innings, Stead 52 and the pair shared a 107-run fourth wicket stand. Their dismissals today for 13 and 0 dealt a staggering blow to Canterbury's chances.

Penn then had Shanan Stewart for 10 when Canterbury was 25 and Gareth Hopkins for 0 when they were 29. He removed Aaron Redmond and Paul Wiseman and Canterbury were 33/7.

Redmond's dismissal was the most remarkable of the day. He was stumped by Glynn Howell from Penn's bowling, giving him another first - his first dismissal in first-class matches achieved by that method.

"What a day, eh?" Penn said.

"It's not often you're getting rhythm like that. That was the best rhythm I've ever had. When you get that you're so worried you're going to lose it. It just takes a couple of bad overs and it's gone."

Penn could not be talked into bowling downwind. It was by bowling into the breeze that he was able to achieve that perfect physical poise.

"I was always confident that 152 would be enough," he said. "I mean that especially with this team, the way we're play and because of the number of times we've come out of tight situations."

The pitch by this third day was desperately hard to bat on. Wellington knew that after their experience earlier in the day and backed themselves to make Canterbury's life difficult. They did so but there are now real concerns at the nature of the pitches the Basin Reserve is producing.

This was the second pitch, after that used for last week's match against Otago, to play such a large part in determining outcome of the match.

Wellington's next match is also at the Basin, against Northern Districts starting on Monday.

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