All six United bowlers picked up wickets, with the best performances being spinner Robbie Power (3-19), pace bowler Ryan Slight (2-13) and New Zealand Over-50s representative Martin Pennefather (2-22).
Still, United had been dismissed very cheaply the weekend before in their 50-over Coastal Challenge game with lowly Red Star, but this time showed discipline to get the winning runs after 17 overs.
Openers Scott Oliver (17) and Andre Canderle (31 not out) kept wickets available with a 48-run partnership by the 12th over, before O'Leary (2-19) managed to get Oliver and then Power (11) in consecutive overs, although not before Power hit a six and a boundary.
Ritesh Verma then opened up to hit 22 not out off 11 balls, including four boundaries, to get United home with three overs to spare.
Marist's slump includes the January 12 round where they lost to Wanganui Collegiate by 12 runs at the school grounds.
Collegiate batted a team innings of 131-9, with five players scoring in the teens while Shaun O'Leary carried on to make 27 off 19 balls, including three boundaries.
In reply, Marist got pinned down to only reach 119-7 at the end of their 20 overs.
Michael O'Leary (32 from 26 balls) was good on top of the innings, but ran through batting partners with Marist struggling at 59-4 in the 11th over.
Stewart (24) then partnered with O'Leary to set a launching pad at 93-4 with four overs left, but then both the set batsmen were dismissed over the next eight deliveries.
Sam Beard (16 not out) looked to carry on, but Marist lost two more wickets as well as the momentum necessary to get up.
Harry Godfrey (3-20) was the pick of the bowlers while Shaun O'Leary (1-10) was hard to get away.
Watson's Tech gave United another win by default in the other match of the January 12 round.
Finals day will be on February 16 with two games in the morning to decide who goes into the championship playoff in the afternoon.
* * * * *
The Bullocks Premier 2 Twenty20 playoffs were held on Saturday and the Wicket Warriors claimed their first ever club championship after upsetting Watsons Real Estate United 2nd XI by five wickets in the final.
United had been top qualifier in the six team tournament and had beaten the Wicket Warriors during the double round of games on January 12, while a couple of Premier 1 players did double duty as their 10.30am match was finished by 2pm start.
However, United were restricted to 103-9 from their 20 overs and the Wicket Warriors ticked off the winning runs early in the 18th over.
Wicket Warriors opening bowler Libin Varghese (2-18) struck right away, and his team kept the pressure on until Carter Hobbs (23) and Martin Pennefather put on 56 runs for the sixth wicket, until their demise off consecutive balls from Bobin Jose.
Jose (4-20) would picked up the team man of the match award.
In reply, Wicket Warriors openers Mehul Barot (27) and Anurag Mishra (24) put on 55 in eight overs to set the tone, and although United came back through pressure from their spinners Pennefather (3-20) and Sam Roebuck (2-21), the all-Indian team had the task in hand.
Regarding the first championship for a team created in 2017, captain Sreejith Sreekumar said the win was a product of the passion, discipline and dedication of his players.
"We are very delighted to have the title as champions and paying extreme gratitude to our well-wishers and supporters.
"Warriors are looking forward to more titles to win the respect of cricket lovers in Whanganui."
In the minor playoff games, Wanganui Old Boys beat the Wanganui Renegades by three wickets, while Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens defeated Kaitoke Cricket Club by 32 runs.
Scoreboards
Premier 1 Twenty20
January 12.
Wanganui Collegiate 131-9 (S O'Leary 27, G Meyer 16, W Hocquard 16; R Tofa 3-15) bt Marist 119-7 (M O'Leary 32, C Stewart 24, S Beard 16; H Godfrey 3-20) by 12 runs.
United bt Tech by default.
January 26.
Marist 90 (C Stewart 32; R Power 3-19, R Slight 2-13, M Pennefather 2-22) lost to United 92-2 (A Canderle 31no, R Verma 22no, S Oliver 17; M O'Leary 2-19) by eight wickets.
Wanganui Collegiate vs Tech n/a.
Premier 2 Twenty20
January 26, Finals Day.
United 2nd XI 103-9 (M Pennefather 33, C Hobbs 23; B Pullikkattil Jose 4-20, L Varghese 2-18, S Sreekumar 2-24) lost to Wicket Warriors 104-5 (M Barot 27, A Mishra 24, A Coelho 17no; M Pennefather 3-20, S Roebuck 2-21) by five wickets.
Renegades 140-7 (J Trillo 40, M Hodges 27, A Thomas 20, R Moore 19; J Tweed 3-10) lost to Old Boys 142-7 (A Cobb 53no, J Weed 25, R Macdonald 18, D Hall 16no; J Trillo 3-16, M Hodges 2-19, R Moore 2-27) by three wickets.
Marton Saracens 160-4 (L Woolston 60no, T Westwood 40, A Pond 22; Z Potaka 2-16) bt Kaitoke CC 128-7 (Z Potaka 61; J Lane 3-14, P Galpin 2-31) by 32 runs.
