The visitors, who won the toss, could only muster 138-8 with Josh Borrell scoring 47 runs (38 balls) while Ben Mitchell and James McDougall added 25 and 23, respectively.
"Obviously we've come from Taranaki, mate, so we won't be on grass until January," veteran player Jamie Watkins said when asked how the wicket was.
CHB guest player from Canterbury Mitch Ross claimed 4-35 from his left-arm spin while Charlie Robson took 3-22.
Grafton caused the upset of the day when they crushed defending champions Hutt District by nine wickets at Nelson Park, Napier.
They restricted Hutt 108-6 before eclipsing the total with 109-1 with 33 balls to spare. W Martin scored 45no and N Henderie was unbeaten on 43.
It was a home coming for East Coast Bays player Seb Langridge at Cornwall Park but Havelock North didn't let him add any icing to the cake when they beat the Aucklanders by 18 runs.
"It was a great venue and the ground was superb and the boys just love it in Hawke's Bay, mate," said Langridge who played for Cornwall and represented Hawke's Bay for a few summers.
The Aucklanders will play CHB first up at Nelson Park today.
Horowhenua-Kapiti beat HB Academy XI in the battle of newcomers by 41 runs.
Horowhenua racked up 165-7 runs in their allotted 20 overs with M Good and Y van den Berg scoring 34 each while R Subasinghe added 31 at No 8.
William Clark, James Field and Robbie Brigham took two wickets each.
In reply, Academy could only eke out 124 runs with CD Stag Dane Cleaver scoring 56 runs as an opener and no one really joining the party.
NTOB beat The Station Napier Old Boys' Marist by 36 runs in the derby. Stevie Smidt was 54no in NTOB's 146-6 with NOBM's Sunil Kumar taking 3-24.
NOBM managed 110-5 in 20 overs with Smidt almost unplayable in taking one for four runs from his four overs.
Onslow thumped Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall CC by eight wickets.
The Wellingtonians made the most of a fresh wicket to skittle the hosts for 70 runs with captain Jacob Smith scoring 28 runs from 25 balls and No 9 H Evans the only other batsman to make double figures on 12.
Wellington Firebirds player Andrew Pollock was the chief destroyer with 4-23 for Onslow.
In reply, the visitors cruised to 72 with 58 balls to spare with A Fletcher and M Nofal opening with 24 runs each.
Taradale also made their intentions clear when they flogged North Shore CC by eight wickets at Nelson Park.
Opener C Beghin provided the foundation with 54 runs for the Aucklanders fell two runs shy of making a total of 100.
The CD Stags pair of Black Caps seamer Doug Bracewell and spinner Ajaz Patel claimed two scalps each but ex-NOBM player Brendan Quinn and import Dean Foxcroft exhibited frugality with 1-6 and 1-14, respectively.
In their run chase, Taradale stuttered before No 3 Foxcroft and No 4 Bracewell stopped the rot with unbeaten 54 and 33, respectively, to eclipse the total with 102 runs with 21 balls to spare.
Rounds two and three will be played today and the playoffs tomorrow although patches of rain are forecast on both days.
