The Bloods’ white-ball form-line reads 2-0 after a nervy two-wicket win, but on a lightning quick Vibert Reserve, it was SYCU that took the early advantage.
Green and Jake Callow strolled to the middle with willows in hand and raced to a swash-buckling 82-run stand after 12 overs, Bloods’ bowler Shane Smith stemming the bleeding by extracting Callow’s wicket.
Bailey Simpson notched his first wicket for his new club, sending opposition captain Seb Menzhausen packing, but the Bloods could only watch as Green continued to flay the Kookaburra everywhere, smacking four sixes and 11 fours on his way to 86 off 71 deliveries.
Green’s stand ended after he was caught, but at 3-113 and the run rate motoring nicely, it looked as if United were on the way to a big total.
But the Bloods spinners stood tall under pressure, much to the pleasure of skipper Nathan Jones.
Zac Groombridge enticed Cooper Adkins and then Shobhit Sabharwal into handing their wickets away, while four balls later Max Henderson joined them back in the sheds after he was run out.
Grayson Widmer dug in for 17 runs, but a third pole for Groombridge and wickets to Zavier Davidson, Zane Newbound, and Lachie Keady saw SYCU all out for 163, leaving a few runs out there after conceding 6-42.
“They got off to a pretty good start,” Jones said.
“(Green) ripped us apart there early.
“The three spinners that we bowled, Zac (Groombridge), Bailey (Simpson), and Zav (Davidson), they really brought us back into the game.
“Being a small ground, for quicker bowlers the ball flies off the bat, so once you break that infield it’s pretty much four.”
With the bat, the Bloods start was no mirror of SYCU’s.
Karramomus found itself in early trouble, with Joseph Hammond dismissing Bloods’ recruit Ethan Baxter in the first over for a golden duck, while the dangerous Mitch McGrath was bowled by Brijesh Kumar in the fifth for just six runs.
Kumar doubled up with the scalp of Davidson not long after to leave Karramomus reeling at 3-13, a situation compounded by Simpson’s dismissal for 15, again at the hands of Kumar.
Declan Newbound added 14 before departing, and with the Bloods still needing 112 runs, Jones and Groombridge went to work resurrecting the innings.
Their 76-run partnership, spearheaded by Jones with 72 not out and 26 off a watchful 49 deliveries from Groombridge, turned the course of the game, and despite some nervy late wickets, the Bloods ticked off the chase with two wickets to spare in the 42nd over.
After clinching the first win of his captaincy, Jones credited the next man up mentality that will hopefully spur Karramomus to a successful season.
“We ask for people to step up every week and if it's not number three or four, five, six, and seven can still bat and get some runs too,” he said.
“It was bloody good considering the situation that we were facing; to come in still needing 130 runs and managing to take away the win was a good result in the end for us.
“Still a few things to work on with the bat, but it’s all pointing in the right direction again.
“Always good to start off the year with a victory, and obviously with the younger side that we've got, the more wins we can get early builds some good momentum into the back half of the year.”
The Bloods will journey out to Nagambie to face the Lakers in round two.
THE GAME
Karramomus 8-164 (Nathan Jones 72 not out, Zac Groombridge 26, Brijesh Kumar 3-16) def SYCU 163 (Tyler Green 86, Jake Callow 18, Zac Groombridge 3-21)
STAR PLAYER
Nathan Jones (Karramomus): The skipper stood tall in his first game at the helm, crafting 72 unbeaten at a time when the Bloods most needed it. Zac Groombridge gets an honourable mention for his tidy 3-21 off nine overs and going with Jones in the game-saving partnership.
