Marist set the tone early with a terrific batting display, cruising to 190 from 20 overs for the loss of just two wickets and putting Grammar under real pressure from the start. Opening the innings, Ethan Parry lit things up with a blazing 33 from 17 balls, cracking 7 boundaries and immediately putting the bowlers on notice. Once Ethan retired, the momentum didn’t slow, skipper Ben Van de Meeberg took over in the middle order with a fluent 25 off 17, finding gaps, running hard and keeping the scoreboard moving.

Around them, Conor Casey, Oliver Henry and Lewis Fillbrook all played smart supporting roles, rotating the strike and making sure Marist stayed in control of the innings. The finishing touch came from Tom Jenkins and Sam Bullock, who walked out with licence to play and did exactly that. Both finished unbeaten on 22, keeping the tempo high right through to the final over and pushing the total to a very imposing 190.

With such a strong score on the board, Marist took the field with plenty of confidence, and backed it up with a disciplined, team-first bowling effort. They claimed 7 wickets in total, with Ben leading the way with two and Tom, Conor, Ollie, Ethan and Sam all chipping in with one each. The bowlers kept things tight, mixed up their pace and lengths, and never really let Grammar get comfortable.

The fielders were just as impressive. Marist held four catches, one each to Conor, Lewis, Ollie and Ethan; and turned the screws with four run outs, including a busy day for Sam with three and another to Ethan. The energy in the field, sharp communication and willingness to back each other up meant half-chances quickly turned into wickets.

All up, it was a commanding and enjoyable win: a powerful team performance with the bat, backed up by clever bowling and lively fielding. Lots of contributors, plenty of positives and a great platform for the rest of the season.