Tuff Dogs, bidding for a fourth successive Evening Cricket League title, got their Premier Division campaign off to a winning start by beating newly promoted De Wicketest by seven wickets with six overs to spare at Shelly Bay.

Three wickets from the captain, Terence Corday, helped Tuff Dogs restrict their opponents to 98 for eight before Maclaren Lowe’s 36 and an unbeaten 30 from Justin Barritt steered their side home.

There were also first-week victories for Renegades, who beat Fine Leg Byes by eight wickets thanks to Ryan Miller’s unbeaten 39, and The Associates, last season’s runners-up, who defeated West XI by the same margin.

The ECL’s First Division, starting a week later, has been boosted by the arrival of a new team, CV Chargers.

Both divisions are using a slimmed-down, 16-overs-a-side format this season.