The gulf between Wanganui cricket's top club side and their northern neighbours played out its latest chapter at Victoria Park on Saturday.
Local one-day champions Wanganui United were game and indeed motivated against their Taranaki counterparts New Plymouth Marist United, but in the final reckoning came about 50 runs short of really pushing their neighbours, who in workmanlike fashion pushed through to their 226 target for a deserved five-wicket win.
Marist United, who went all the way to third in the national club finals last year, continued Taranaki's domination of the local inter-association clash in recent years.
"They're a good batting side, that's for sure," said stand-in Wanganui United captain Gerard Hobbs, who had played well by sharing a 50-run opening partnership with Max Carroll and taking a couple of wickets in the latter half of Marist's chase.
Carroll carried on through, being dismissed after a determined 86 in the 48th over, with no one else contributing more than some productive 20s and 30s.