It was a day for the underdogs in the Dunedin senior competition, with all three games on Saturday ending in relative upsets.
Albion 158 lost to Kaikorai 159 for six by four wickets
Albion has the first piece of silverware, the one-day cup, tucked away but made a poor start to the first game of the second round (after last week was abandoned due to rain) at Brooklands.
Its batting effort probably could have been worse, considering the side slipped to 89 for eight. Happily, Michael Snedden was in the mood for a fightback, and his rollicking 48 off 42 balls gave Albion a moderately competitive total.
Kaikorai produced a pair of three-wicket bags, Geordie Scott claiming his off 10 economic (19 runs) overs and Jackson Latham taking three for 25 off 10.
Kaikorai's reply was a mix of the bad - opener Liam Cotton fell for three, and there were two ducks - and the good. Ryan Duffy bashed 49 off 39 balls, and Dan Sharples scored an unbeaten 55 to ensure victory was achieved in the 31st over.
Snedden and Daniel Ingham each had three wickets for Kaikorai.
Green Island 196 for eight lost to Taieri 199 for seven by three wickets
Taieri has generally had a wretched season but has shown signs in recent weeks of a resurgence, and this effort at Sunnyvale will be a real morale booster.
Two key individual performances - Matt Bruce with the ball and Simon Cromarty with the bat - backed up by some handy cameos proved the difference against a powerful Green Island side.
Bruce claimed the excellent figures of four for 33 off his 10 overs as Green Island was pulled back after a fast start (75 for none).
Dion Lobb was unbeaten on 55 at the end of the innings, but otherwise Green Island could not capitalise on the efforts of openers Greg Croudis (35) and Scott Simpson (30).
Taieri's reply was calm and steady. Cromarty was the anchor with a fine 68 at the top of the order, and Regan Sleeman, Jack Hunter and Ryan Littlejohn all reached 20 to see the total reached off the last ball of the 49th over.
North East Valley 123 lost to OBHS 124 for seven by three wickets
The schoolboys are back, and they mean business.
Taine Bayly claimed a five-wicket bag and scored a half-century in a wonderful all-round effort to lead Otago Boys' to a win in its first senior game of the summer.
He tore the heart out of the North East Valley order at Tonga Park, finishing with the figures of the day, five for 26 off eight overs.
Otago Boys' slumped to 12 for two in reply but Bayly took charge with a responsible 51 off 92 balls to get the school team over the line in the 40th over.
