Marist Thunder took on Marist Stars on the synthetic at Marist College Oval 3 on Friday evening. Stars came out on top, 99 to 81, but there was plenty for Thunder to be proud of. A special welcome to Henry, Oki and Alex, who are new to Marist this season and all made an immediate impact. Alex top-scored with the bat, making 9 including two cracking boundaries, and also picked up a wicket. Oki batted through to finish 2 not out and bowled a tidy three overs for just 9 runs. Henry was outstanding with the ball, conceding only 7 runs from his three overs, and also effected a sharp run out. Owen led the bowling with an excellent 3 overs for 5, and Bradley also chipped in with a wicket.

The highlight of the night was the fielding, with every player switched on and backing each other up. Catches to James and Owen, plus Henry's run out, showed the team's energy and focus in the field. It was a great first hit-out for the group, and the boys showed real promise across batting, bowling and fielding. The coaches are looking forward to developing everyone's skills over the coming weeks, particularly tightening up the line and length to cut down on extras, and to seeing the team keep improving as the season progresses. Well done, Thunder!