However, captain Dominic Lock (33) and Central Districts Hinds representative Jessica Watkin (28) dug in and batted for time, enjoying being back to white-ball cricket on a green pitch, as they gave the team the chance to have a bit of a swing during the final 15-20 overs.
Enter Nick Harding.
Not often available this season the allrounder proceeded to bludgeon the ball over the ropes six times, landing them past the clubrooms from the city end and losing them in the tall trees at the other.
Reaching his 50 off fewer than 25 balls, Harding would have kept going if he wasn't run out from a direct hit by Hayden Kirk when trying for a third run, having got his side through to 188-6.
Spinner Robbie Power took some stick, getting hit for six three times in one over.
"It was full tosses. I got a few," Harding said.
Veteran Brett Field then went out to join teenager Josh Roebuck, and the pair kept the scoreline ticking over as Roebuck picked up where Harding left off, hitting Brendon Walker to the boundary.
With Ritesh Verma having bowled out, United brought back spinner Tom Lance for the final over and Roebuck set himself to take on the field, being dropped right on the boundary for a six, then hitting a boundary and another six to finish unbeaten on 71 and help his team put up a very healthy 248-6.
Similar to last season when English import Paul O'Callaghan took early wickets, Tech had United immediately in trouble and reduced them to 30-5.
However, this time the subdued veterans could not mount a middle-order fightback and were bundled out for 73.
Travis Bartels took 4-18 from his 10 overs and again proved his athleticism to hang on to a caught-and-bowled by tucking in for a forward roll while juggling the ball.
"I was sort of falling over at the time," he said of his great catch.
Like Bartels, Active Physio Wanganui bowler Trent Hemi was fresh, as the Tech tail did not have to bat, and finished with 3-28 from his eight overs.
For Lock, it was a thrill to be able to talk about a complete performance.
"The opening bowlers, good spell from Trent and Trav, set the tone.
"It's the first time I think we've batted the 50 overs."
Two 50s in a Tech innings was a rare feat and for once the guys who can hit out had the foundation laid for them to be able to do it, he said.
Marton have also not had a good season but unlike Tech, that trend continued against Marist.
If it had not been for a typically aggressive innings from slogger Dan Ford, who this time kept his wicket until within one shot of a fine century, they would have been bundled out very cheaply.
Advancing to a John McIlraith delivery but only able to sky it, Ford was the last wicket to fall for 94, having struck a dozen boundaries and two sixes in an excellent innings off 89 balls.
But he had little help.
Needing a contribution from another bowler, captain Mark Fraser brought on acknowledged part-timer John McIlraith and he turned into "whispering death", getting 4-29 from 6.1 overs.
Aside from Harry Everett scoring 30 before he also became a McIlraith victim, the remaining Marton batsmen contributed just 18 runs, with four ducks among them.
Emboldened by his unexpected bowling success, McIlraith then struck gold with the bat as well, ending a run of bad form to shore up an end and finish unbeaten on 82 off 83 balls, including six fours and a couple of sixes.
Despite there being some nervous times when leading batsmen Brett Cameron was trapped in front for a rare golden duck, Inness (52 not out) joined McIlraith to guide their team through to victory by the 28th over.
