ARMIDALE City and Ex-Services have the upper hand in two-day Armidale first grade games after good opening days in Saturday’s 14th round.
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Last-placed Ex-Services dismissed Hillgrove for 172 at Lambert Park and then finished the day 4-103, with Nick Levy and Josh Martin putting on an unbroken 40-run stand.
At Armidale Sportsground, competition leaders East were all out for 138 on a bowler -friendly soft wicket and City are 3-72 in reply.
City skipper Steve Butler captured 7-27 from his 20.4 overs, 10 of which were
maidens.
Kyle Taylor (4no) and Adam Sweeney (0) resume the run chase after Paul Woodford (41), Hugh Reckord (20) and Matt Folpp (3) gave the third-placed side a good start to its chase.
Easts skipper Sam Uphill said his side disappointed.
“A few of us got starts but no one went on,” Sam Uphill said.
“Deano (Moore) scored 33, Todd Francis 25, Matt Jackson might have made 20 and I scored around 20 too but none of us went on. That let us down.
“Butts (Butler) bowled well. Andrew Skinner (1-26) also bowled tight.
“Then Todd grabbed a couple of wickets and Connie (Sam Constance) one but we’ve got a lot to do.”
Butler was delighted with his personal and team performance.
7-27 was a haul the left-arm spinner will treasure.
“I might retire on that,” he joked.
“After we had that bit of rain (that washed out Friday night’s New England Mutual Big Bash T20), the deck was a bit soft.
“But we had to get the big two, Deano and Todd.”
Karl Triebe (2-30) bowled tightly early along with Andrew Skinner.
Snaring Moore’s wicket just before the first drinks break was a key.
“Everybody bowled well too,” Butler said.
“Karl took 2-30 from his nine, Adam Sweeney took 0-13 off five, Dan Hogan bowled well to finish with 0-17, Andrew Skinner was tight and took 1-26 off his eight and Matt Morrow also took 0-14.
“It was just a good day for us.
“We’ve got to get 67 next week though. Hopefully it won’t rain and we can win and push our run rate up.”
City were equal on points with Hillgrove Colts entering the 14th round but trailing on run rate.
When told Hillgrove were struggling against Ex-Services, he and his side
celebrated.
Hillgrove skipper Brad King (38) and his son Harrison (38no) topscored for Hillgrove, with Brayden Graham spearheading the Servies’ attack.
Cody Graham and Will Green opened the batting for Services and gave them a good start before Josh Martin and Nick Levy formed a good fifth wicket stand to take the side to 4-103 at stumps.
Bentley Cropper had grabbed two of the Ex-Services wickets.
