The home side dominated the four-day match from the outset, dismissing Wellington before the scheduled lunch break on day one for a paltry 76, then building a lead of 166 runs after posting a total of 342.
Wellington did not fare much better in its second innings, capitulating for 150 on Saturday evening to hand Otago a much-needed win inside two days.
Otago is still in fourth spot but has doubled its points from eight to 16. Canterbury defeated Central Districts by eight wickets and moved to 26 points. It leads the competition from Wellington on 24 points. Auckland is in third place on 18 points.
Otago coach Mike Hesson dismissed any suggestions the pitch was not up to standard shortly after Nathan McCullum wrapped up the match when he caught and bowled Fraser Quarterman.
‘‘We outplayed them in every facet of the game,'' he said. ‘‘And I think for people to blame the pitch would be uneducated.
‘‘You'd expect there to be some life in the pitch on day one of a four-day match. It is always going to do a bit in the first couple of hours and you hope to be only two or three down at lunch. But to bowl them out by lunchtime was a pretty impressive performance from our bowling and fielding unit.''
The home side was brilliant in the slips, grabbing several sharp catches, and the bowling unit demonstrated good discipline.
Fast bowler James McMillan produced his best spell this summer, taking four for 29 in Wellington's first innings, and Bradley Scott took four for 36 in the Firebirds' second dig.
Wellington, for its part, was disappointing. Captain Michael Parlane looked in good touch getting through to 44 on Saturday, but that effort aside, Wellington's top six were dismal. Neal Parlane, Grant Elliott and Stephen Gellatly netted just 13 runs for the match.
Otago resumed day two on Saturday on 201 for one with Aaron Redmond on 50 and Greg Todd on 40. The pair could add just 10 runs before Michael Burns secured the breakthrough, removing Redmond.
Todd fell two runs short of a half-century and both Neil Broom and McCullum missed out.
Jordan Sheed struck five fours in his 38 and Derek de Boorder (24) and Sam Wells (29) added 53 for the seventh wicket to steer Otago past 300.
Wellington appeared to have learned nothing from its first-innings failure and lost wickets with alarming regularity.
Michael Parlane looked untroubled but could only watch helplessly from the other end as Luke Woodcock, Neal Parlane and Elliott all perished without registering a ripple.
But in sight of a half-century, Parlane offered an edge off Scott and he joined the rest of the top four in the shed.
BJ Crook (21) and Dewayne Bowden (49) added 69 for the seventh wicket to guide their side past 100 and save further blushes, but after Crook was trapped lbw by Sam Wells the end came rapidly.
