Central beat South 72-61 in a result that shocked many, as South was considered to be the tournament favourite.
Central dominated the lethargic looking South all over the court right from the starting whistle and forced repeated turnovers.
South failed to adapt to the new two-point goal and struggled with the new injury time rules.
Central, on the other hand, used the new 30-second injury time as a way to insert fresh legs on to the court with rolling subs, and punished South with two-point goals.
Central goal attack Gemma Hazeldine sank shot after shot from the two-point area, extending Central's lead to 20 goals before South could even react.
The final quarter saw the Southerners eat into the deficit, but it was too late and Central took the well-deserved win.
South's second game of the day, against North Zone, showed glimpses of what was expected from the star-studded line-up.
Captain Gina Crampton stepped up her game and dominated the mid court with her speedy pass and cuts.
She found good connections with goal shoot Te Paea Selby-Rickit and North failed to come up with a solution to stop the pair.
Selby-Rickit seemed to settle with the new rules and began to score two-pointers with ease, despite pressure on the shot from North defenders.
By half time, South had extended its lead to 17 goals, and the coaches used it as a chance to try new combinations on the court.
Selby-Rickit was moved to the bench to make way for fresh legs in the final quarter, but the team lost momentum.
With one minute to go, North had pulled the margin back to five, but the Southerners held on to win the match.
Waikato Bay of Plenty began its title defence with two convincing wins over the Australian invitational team and Mainland.
Central won its first two matches, having adapted well to the new rules, and looks to be a strong contender to make the final.
In the under-19 competition, Dunedin beat Eastern Waikato 40-34 in its only match of day one and looked strong under pressure, despite a late surge from its opponent.
Day two will see Dunedin take on Tasman and Howick Pakuranga in the under-19 grade, and South take on defending champions Waikato Bay of Plenty in the under-23 grade.
• The Northern Mystics have made their first big recruitment move of the off-season, luring former Pulse midcourter Camilla Lees to Auckland, The New Zealand Herald reported.
Lees (25), who is in the wider Silver Ferns squad and has 11 tests to her name, has been at the Pulse for the past six seasons.
But the qualified doctor, who grew up in Pukekohe, is looking to recharge her career after missing selection for this month's Commonwealth Games.
Lees said she was excited about the opportunity link up with shooters Maria Tutaia and Cathrine Latu in the Mystics attack.
Mystics coach Debbie Fuller said Lees will add an element of precision to the attacking line.
''Camilla is consistent, mature and can slot into both centre and wing attack.''
- Bridget Rutherford
