The Wanganui Collegiate First XI planted their front foot firmly in the first step of the NZ Secondary Schools knockout competition when they defeated New Plymouth Boys High by 25 runs on Wednesday.
In the regional qualifier, WCS batted first and scored 173, led by Matt Simes with a superbanchor 97, and who eventually ran himself out trying to inflate the team's score.
By comparison, the only other WCS score of note was Harry Cave with 19.
However, Collegiate has strength in their aggressive fast bowlers as openers Angus Dinwiddie and Connor O'Leary - who both played senior representative cricket for Active Physio Wanganui this summer - pegged NPBHS back to 14-3.
The Taranaki team never recovered and a good concerted team effort in the field backed up the bowling of O'Leary (3-18) and Dinwiddie (4-18) to see NPBHS fall short at 148.
WCS will now move onto the next round of the knock out phase later this month in Palmerston North.
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Meanwhile, Collegiate old boy and Central District's opening batsman Ben Smith made a good 66 for the Stags in their Plunket Shield match with the Wellington Firebirds at McLean Park this week.
