Invercargill Metropolitan has made a winning start to the Otago District Junior Board's programme for 2001/02 with a seven-wicket win over Southland Country in the opening round.

Batting first Invercargill amassed 163/3 by the time of the compulsory declaration with Shaun Fitzgibbon contributing 56 and Hamish Skelt finishing 63 not out.

Country struggled in reply and was dismissed for 83 in the 39th over - James Crisp (4-19), Sam Harry (3-13) and Tim Riley (2-13) doing the damage.

This weekend the two Dunedin teams square off while North Otago and Central Otago meet on December 2.

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