The return of Mac Webster proved pivotal for South Wagga as they claimed their first win of the season and the Max Knight Cup in their one-day clash against Wagga City.
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The Blues won the toss and elected to bat where Webster (83) helped set up South Wagga's innings while captain-coach Joel Robinson (25) also pitched in they reached a total of 8-185 off their 50 overs.
With ball in hand, Webster (3-37) then claimed the wickets of Cats captain Josh Thompson (8), Vaughn Jenkins (4) and Gus Coles (0) as Wagga City were dismissed for 170 in the 43rd over.
Having playing a one-off game for the Blues last season, Robinson believed that Webster's performance showed why he will be such an important addition for South Wagga this campaign.
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"We knew that coming in as he trained with us all of last year," Robinson said.
It was far from the easiest of victories for the Blues as Aaron Maxwell (110) made sure that the Cats kept working their way towards South Wagga's total.
Maxwell was eventually caught off the bowling of Seb Graf leaving the Cats at 6-159 and the Blues then took 4-11 to secure their first win of the season.
Robinson conceded it was far from their best performance but was glad they could tough it out to get on the board for the first time this season.
"It was pretty good," he said.
"Mac obviously batted really well, we lost a couple of early wickets but he was sort of the mainstay all day.
"He got us something to bowl at but we didn't bowl that great early on and the game was probably slipping out of our hands.
"It was a good fightback late which gets us on the board and gets the season underway."
It was the first game played at Robertson Oval for the season and Robinson admitted that the batting conditions weren't as favourable as what the pitch can usually offer.
"It was a bit slow the wicket but I think we also just played some false shots as well," he said.
"They bowled to the conditions quite well and fielded quite well as well so I thought 180 was probably around the mark I reckon.
"Maybe 20 short to be fair, but it was probably where it sat for the day."
The Blues had found themselves sitting at 0-2 following a somewhat slow start to the season however Robinson believed that there was nothing to be too concerned about.
"We've had a bit of a turnover in players over the last 12 months," he said.
"We are getting some games into some young kids as well which is good for the future of the club.
"I think we will just keep improving and we will get Braydo Ambler back next week at the top of the order and I think that will just bolster up the middle order and the depth of the side as well.
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"It adds another bowler with Clunesy (Warren Clunes) as he's been taking the gloves so Braydo will slot back in there.
"It gives us a bit more balance in our team but we had some good contributors and Sebby Graf did a really good job with the ball for his first game of the year.
"Young Linc Lauder he put on 60 or 70 for the sixth wicket so we are getting contributions across the board.
"We just probably need someone to go on like Mac, just a couple of guys to go up the top but I was always confident with the way that we were putting in work at training that the results would start to show."
South Wagga 8-185 (M Webster 83, J Robinson 25; C Walker 2-14, C Graetz 2-25) d Wagga City 170 (A Maxwell 110, F Jenkins 15; M Webster 3-37)
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