Tech's Ross Kinnerley (6-38) was finally able to resume bowling after his shoulder injury and combined with Trent Hemi to have Collegiate in pieces at 8-4.
Openers Kashish Nauharia and Bruce Donald may be relatively new to playing Premier 1 against adults, but Charlie Greatbatch and Sam Sheriff have a little skin in the game, yet none of them could score more than two runs.
Ben Kelt (23) and Beau Hourigan (25) fought to survive in the middle order, before spinner Jessica Watkin (2-13) and Sam Suri looked to get amongst them.
Coach Warren Marr hoped Hadleigh O'Leary (49) and Joel Clark (23) could survive to the lunchbreak as they would see off 177 deliveries between them under pressure for a vital 50 run partnership.
However, Tech brought back Kinnerley who gave a rising delivery to youngster Clark, forcing him to lift up and give an edge to give keeper Cameron Mackintosh his fourth share of a dismissal, and then Kinnerley showed all the skills with clever slower ball drifting right around the leg of William Hocquard to collect his off-stump.
From 141-9 at lunch, O'Leary went back out but was denied a deserved 50 when Kinnerley had his stumps as well.
In reply, it seemed Tech would reach the target in a canter because while Hemi was caught cheaply off Clark's bowling, he was only supporting Bevan Hunter (51), who managed to hit seven boundaries across the school's slow outfield to have his team 42-1 after seven overs.
Hunter was then trapped in front by Clark for 65-2 after 13 overs, as Collegiate began to turn it back around when Suri was caught off Beau Hourigan (2-14) in the following over.
It appeared Kinnerley (19) and Mackintosh (17) were settling Tech as they guided their team over the 90-run mark following a brief rain delay.
But O'Leary got his revenge when he had Kinnerley's stumps, while Clark (5-31) was now on-song as Watkin started confidently but was bowled, while Quinn Mailman quickly hit a boundary but was then caught out off Greatbatch (2-35), and Mackintosh also gave up a catch off Clark at 120-7.
Only 29 runs away with plenty of overs left, Tech still had some experience in their tail, but the schoolboys chipped them out over the next eight overs as Liam Wilshire was caught to give Clark his 5-for, then Tim Czerwonka was bowled by Greatbatch and Tyler Lock was caught behind off Hourigan.
Tellingly, the Collegiate bowlers did not give Tech a sniff with unforced bowling errors, sending down just three wides amongst only 10 extras in nearly 35 overs.
Down in Marton with a 10-man batting lineup, United needed runs from their remaining top order and although Greg Smith (12) struck a couple of early boundaries, being caught of John Anthony (2-29) had United slipping as Matthew Simes was gone in the same over and NZ Over 50's rep Martin Pennefather was caught behind off John Trillo not long after for 24-3.
Gerard Hobbs (39) opened and shored up an end, but he lost Freddie Wilson to spinner Bryant Galpin (3-27) and then former opener Matthew Boswell (12) smacked three quick boundaries only to try once to often and be bowled by James Wilson.
Brendon Walker (36) then figured there was no more harm in attacking, with four boundaries and two sixes, but Hobbs missed Trey Bidois (2-18) to be stumped, and four balls later Bidois had the returning Robbie Power caught behind for wicketkeeper Jarrod Calkin's next dismissal.
Stephen Holloway was bowled by Galpin and then Walker gave the spinner a nick behind to Calkin to complete a Marton team bowling effort with all five bowlers getting wickets.
But even defending 113 without Lance, Badger or Ryan Slight, United had to think Marton would be brittle and sure enough they had them 29-3 in the ninth over with Freddie Wilson (2-23) stepping up to bowl both Scott Oliver and Thomas Westwood, while Sam Lambert was trapped in front by Walker (2-15).
Enter Clare, who had to figure it was him or nobody, as he played patiently over 80 balls, hitting six boundaries, while along the way losing Calkin first ball and Bidois cheaply before Josh Trillo (18) helped him carry Marton to the 80-run mark before being run out by United's top fielder Smith.
Anthony then gave a caught and bowled back to Power, but Wilson (13) hung in there for a 29-run partnership to get Marton over the line.
Wilson was promptly caught of Pennefather soon after, while Galpin was trapped in front by Smith (2-3) and last man Robert Daines (14) figured there was no harm in swinging – hitting a boundary and a six before giving up a nick behind off Smith.
Marton and Collegiate occupy the first two spots on the five-team table, while Marist will begin their campaign this weekend.
Scoreboard
Collegiate 148 (H O'Leary 49, B Hourigan 25, B Kelt 23, J Clark 23; R Kinnerley 6-38, J Watkin 2-13) bt Tech 136 (B Hunter 51, R Kinnerley 19; J Clark 5-31, B Hourigan 2-14, C Greatbatch 2-35) by 12 runs.
United 113 (G Hobbs 39, B Walker 36; B Galpin 3-27, T Bidois 2-18, J Anthony 2-29) lost to Marton 132 (C Clare 56; G Smith 2-3, B Walker 2-15, F Wilson 2-23) by seven wickets.
Marist bye.
