That is the challenge Easts face tomorrow when they take to the field following their first loss of the season.

“It had to happen,” Easts skipper Sam Uphill said.

“We just didn’t take our chances.”

Easts went down by four wickets to City at the Armidale Sportsground last weekend.

Batting first Easts made 6-197 on a slow dry wicket.

“I thought we batted pretty well,” Uphill said.

“It was a tough wicket to bat on, really tough to get going.

“I thought 160 would have been a par score.”

Jock Cartwright (88) was again the star of Easts’ innings.

“It was really good to watch,” Uphill said.

“He’s found some really good form.”

Easts failed to take an early wicket, but Uphill was pleased with the effort with the new ball, it was their fielding he was upset with.

“Our opening spell was very good, which was a nice change,” he said.

“We dropped [Karl] Triebe on 15 and he went on to make 70-odd.

“That was the difference.”

Easts will look to get back on track against Hillgrove at Lambert Park tomorrow.

“That’s the plan,” Uphill said of getting back in the winners’ circle.

Hillgrove will be without Michael Dawson who will be suiting up for Central North at the Country Championships in Ballina.

“That helps us,” Uphill said.

“They still have a pretty good line up without him.”

Uphill highlighted openers Matt Baillie and Matt Schaefer as the key wickets with Dawson out of the line up.

He also wasn’t having any of the suggestion that Hillgrove’s bowling stocks are light on this year.

“They still have the likes of Lochy Elks,” Uphill said.

“He could take six or seven wickets on any day.

“They are a very good side.

“If we bat first we will need to score a lot of runs.”

In the other match of the round, Ex-Services will be desperate for their first win of the season over City at the Armidale Sportsground.