The New Zealand Test opener showed he was here to play in his short three-match stay by sharing a match-winning partnership with Rohit Ramanarthan.

Their 139-run second-wicket stand was the main reason the Warriors beat Gordon with five balls to spare at Chatswood Oval.

It was a rip-roaring start to the Sydney first-grade cricket season.

A Blacktown win seemed unlikely when the hosts batted first and posted a forbidding 7-295.

NSW all rounder Beau Casson set the standard when he opened with 91.

Andrew Pedrana, 3-57, was the pick of the Blacktown bowlers and he picked up the prize wicket of McIntosh's fellow New Zealand Test batsman Daniel Flynn first ball.

Blacktown began well enough, losing their first wicket at 36, but from there the Gordon target still looked far away.

It looked to be a close finish ahead when Ramanathan and McIntosh, 58, shared their stand.

All it needed was for swashbuckling captain Paul Maraziotis to make a stand and that he did. Maraziotis, 63, and Corey Lowe, 35 not out, ensured the Warriors won the battle.

Second grade played at Joe McAleer and were dismissed for 219 chasing Gordon's 8-268.

Thirds were never much chance of reaching Gordon's mountainous 7-302 and were dismissed for 147.

Fourths went close, bowled out for 148 chasing Gordon's 165.

Fifths reached 220. That was respectable but not close to Gordon's 297.

Penrith, 1-175, cruised past Blacktown's 9-172 in their sixth-grade Metropolitan Cup game.

Round two will see Blacktown host Mosman in a two-day game this Saturday and Monday, with the first-graders playing at Glendenning's Joe McAleer Reserve.

Second grade are at Rawson Oval, third at Jim Hanshaw Oval in Whalan, fourths at Balmoral and fifths at Whalan Oval 2.

Sixths play North Sydney at Whalan Oval 2 on Sunday.