HILLGROVE Colts continued on their winning way with another good run chase to score a three wicket win over a determined Armidale City at Lambert Park on Saturday.
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Armidale City made 234 before the reigning premiers replied with 7-235.
Hillgrove skipper Brad King (52) and in-form Scott Brennan (56) topscored for Hillgrove in a good team effort with the bat.
Opening bowler Adam Thurlow (49no), Michael Dawson (20) and Lochlan Elks also chipped in as Thurlow completed a good double.
He also took 2-27 off his nine overs while Brennan also claimed 3-50 with his off-spin.
“It’s the best I’ve seen Adam bowl,” King said.
“It kept our run going.
“It was another good run chase too.
“ We bowled a lot better this week although we did drop a few chances.
“I dropped Brad Smith early and Schafe (Matt Schaefer) put down Kyle Taylor.”
Taylor topscored with 58 (71 balls) for City, batting at number four.
Opener Brad Smith also hit eight fours in his 69-ball 46 and Rumman Hassan smacked five fours and a six in his 41-ball 49.
“Kyle did bat well,” City skipper Steve Butler said of Taylor’s 10-boundary half century.
“Karl (Triebe) also had a little cameo of 49 and I made 21 not out (17 balls) but we only faced 40 of our 45 overs.
“But then we fell away a little in the bowling.
“Both sides were ill-disciplined with the ball.
“I think Hillgrove bowled 35 sundries and we would have been close to 30.”
He thought his side might have been “a bowler short” although Triebe bowled well again to snare three wickets and Butler was luckless and wicketless in two tight overs.
Easts remained a clear second on the ladder with a three wicket success in Saturday’s day-night clash with Ex-Services at New England Mutual Armidale Sportsground.
After rolling Ex-Servies for 99, Easts lurched to 7-100.
“We made it tough work on ourselves,” Easts skipper Sam Uphill said on Saturday night.
Dale Northam had topscored for Servies with 22 as young firebrand Tyson Burey cut loose with another quick spell.
Burey claimed four wickets while Uphill took three and spinner Todd Francis chipped in with a couple.
However, Servies hit back, with Brad Widders taking a five-wicket haul with some impressive off-cutters.
“He did bowl real well for them,” Uphill said of his opposing paceman.
“Ben Hanlan (30) got us home but it was bit grim around the top order.”
The win elevated Easts to 13 points, three adrift of Hillgrove, while Armidale City (7) and Ex-Services (4) are third and fourth.
Easts play Hillgrove at Lambert Park this Saturday while Armidale City and Ex-Services match up at New England Mutual Armidale Sportsground.