Fulton hit 11 fours and seven sixes during his unbeaten innings.

Veteran batsman Peter Fulton clubbed the quickest ton in New Zealand domestic history to help Canterbury end their 11 year wait for the one-day title.

The 38-year-old former Black Cap wound back the clock on his Canterbury Country home wicket at Mainpower Oval in Rangiora. He whacked 116 not out from 58 balls in their 28-run Ford Trophy final victory over Wellington on Saturday.

Fulton hit 11 fours and seven sixes during his unbeaten innings as Canterbury amassed a formidable 199-3 from 20 overs after being asked to bat in a rain reduced contest.

JOSEPH JOHNSON/FAIRFAX NZ Wellington skipper Hamish Marshall kept his side in the contest with 59 from just 29 balls.

He had battled for Ford Trophy runs heading into the match, scoring 175 runs at 21, with just one half century. Drawing on all 16 full seasons of first class experience, Fulton starred as Canterbury set Twenty20 champions Wellington a formidable total.

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His 50-ball ton eclipsed the previous fastest domestic century record held by former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum [52 balls], while playing for Otago against Auckland in the 2007-08 final.

Fulton has played in several one-day final losses with Canterbury and was thrilled to earn his second 50-over domestic title.

"I'm stoked as a senior player to step up in a final like that and contribute," he said.

"We've been pipped at the post a few times. You've got to take that on the chin when you're on the losing end.

It's really great to get a win. Everything was on our side. The weather sort of cleared. Even with 10 overs to go, I thought maybe it was going to close in again. "

Wellington threatened early on in reply, but once skipper Hamish Marshall departed they fell away as the run rate soared.

Canterbury captain Andrew Ellis, playing with a broken right thumb, bowled tidily, taking 4-28 from his four overs.

Fulton, the lone member of Canterbury's successful playing 11 when they last won the domestic one-day title in February 2006, produced a belligerent innings, carting Wellington's bowlers around the ground.

He brought up his third domestic 50-over ton in the 18th over, working a single through midwicket off Matt Taylor.

His century, consisted of nine fours and seven sixes.

Wellington made a flyer in reply with Marshall taking 15 from Logan van Beek's opening over, smashing three fours.

Kyle Jamieson, in his first match back from a side strain injury suffered in round one, struck in the next over, removing former Canterbury man Michael Papps, who was caught at mid on.

Marshall and Tom Blundell were savage on van Beek, Jamieson and Henry Shipley, carting them for boundaries to race to 50-1 from four overs.

The dangerous partnership came to an end when offspinner Tim Johnston whipped down a quicker ball to Blundell, who was caught behind by Cam Fletcher, ending their rollicking 59-run stand.

Ellis struck again in the next over, removing Scott Borthwick. Marshall was still blazing away at the other end, keeping Wellington ahead of the required run rate.

The Wellington captain's half century came off just 20 deliveries, bringing up 10 fours in his milestone.

He received a life on 54 when Cole McConchie, usually one of Canterbury's better fielders, dropped a relatively easy catch at cover off Todd Astle.

In his next over, Astle brought about the key wicket of Marshall, forcing him down the wicket and he was stumped by Fletcher for 59 off just 29 balls.

Astle struck again with his leg spin, three deliveries later, bowling Taylor to swing control back in Canterbury's favour.

Persistent rain forced the 50-over decider to be a 20-over per side contest.

It was a frustrating afternoon for the players and a sprinkling of spectators alike with several wet patches in the outfield and pesky drizzle ruining the possibility of an earlier start time.

Wellington won the toss and sent Canterbury in with the pitch having been under covers for most of the day.

Canterbury opened with their Twenty20 combination of Chad Bowes and Fletcher and made a solid start, hitting 25 runs from the first four overs.

Bowes' dismissal off the final ball of the fourth over briefly stalled their progress. Fletcher fell shortly after to right-arm paceman Anurag Verma, who has been among the Firebirds' best in the 50-over campaign.

At 32-2, the partnership between Fulton and unwanted Black Caps' ODI batsman Henry Nicholls was absolutely critical for Canterbury.

The pair began to lift the scoring rate and annoy the Firebirds' bowlers with some powerful hitting.

They took 15 from Jeetan Patel's third over in the 11th with Fulton whacking a four, followed by a six over midwicket in successive balls.

Nicholls played the perfect support role to Fulton, easing the ball into gaps, but finding the fence when the ball was there to be hit.

Fulton started to dominate the Wellington attack, whacking Verma for three sixes in a row over the deep square leg-midwicket region as the 100-run partnership with Nicholls came up.

Brent Arnel finally ended the 117-run third wicket partnership rattling Nicholls' stumps.

Pinch hitter Johnston provided some handy runs in the closing stages of Canterbury's innings, blasting 17 from nine balls as the red-and-blacks set Wellington a large target.

AT A GLANCE:

Canterbury 199-3 in 20 overs (Peter Fulton 116no, Henry Nicholls 31, Chad Bowes 19) beat Wellington 171 in 19.3 overs (Hamish Marshall 59, Tom Blundell 31, Michael Pollard 25; Luke Woodcock 25; Andrew Ellis 4-28, Todd Astle 2-31, Tim Johnston 2-32, Kyle Jamieson 2-32) by 28 runs.