EAST upset Hillgrove Colts’ applecart with a 54-run win in yesterday’s Armidale One Day Final at New England Mutual Armidale Sportsground.
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Batting first, East made 7-173 in 43 overs and then dismissed a disappointing Hillgrove for just 119.
Josh Taylor was the unlikely batting star for East, the unheralded top order bat scoring 57 and holding the innings together, skipper Sam Uphill said.
“Josh did his job perfectly,” Uphill said.
“He was in there to score the singles and turn the strike over.
“We wanted to bat around him – that was the plan.
“And he did it really well.”
He was sixth man out at 166 after a 49-run second wicket partnership with Aaron Whackett (21) and a 55-run third wicket stand with Todd Francis (32).
He also put on 29 for the fourth wicket with Will Frost (23) against an attack best served by Michael Dawson, who took 3-28 off his eight overs.
Adam Thurlow (1-17 off 7) and Matt Schaefer (1-50) bowled tightly at the start.
“We bowled all right and fielded quite good,” Hillgrove skipper Brad King said.
“Everything they hit in the air seemed to go into the gap.”
Hillgrove’s batting was poor, King added.
“Very poor on a good batting deck,” he said.
“I thought it was a good track but we just made some poor shot selections.”
East’s Tyson Burey was outstanding, Uphill said of a young lanky paceman who claimed 3-23 off his eight overs.
“He was awesome – took some big wickets early,” he said.
“I was worried when we dropped Dawson second ball in the gully off Tyson.
“But Tyson got Bails (Matt Baillie).
“That was also a big wicket and the wicket of the day was Matt Schaefer.
“He’s a big game player and can score quick. but Connie (Sam Constance 1-14 ) got him.
“Then the wickets kept tumbling.
“Kingy (39) batted hard, as he does, and looked pretty good and Richard Heagney (15) hung around for a while too but Matt Jackson (2-10) came on and cleaned up the tail.”
Todd Francis also claimed 3-35 from his nine overs of spin and Uphill captured 1-33 from his nine.
Armidale first grade returns to two-day mode this weekend, with East tackling Armidale City at the Sportsground and Hillgrove facing up to Ex-Services at Lambert Park.
