Curry took advantage of the sideways movement the green wicket provided to claim 7-28 as Hillgrove routed Services for 75 after they had scrambled to 87.

Andrew Byrne and Liam Howard equal top-scored with 12, while Will Archer and Will Waterson scored 11. Making his first grade debut Adam Patridge also made 9*. 

“I don't think we were patient enough, we didn't even look close to batting 45 overs,” stand-in Hillgrove skipper Brad King said.

“No respect for the bowlers and no discipline, no one valued their wicket I guess so it was a little bit disappointing that way.”

The Ex-Services bowlers did too bowl “very well”, John Elliott (3-34), Josh Targett (3-18) and Leon Clifford (2-30) doing the damage.

“It was a good, gutsy win in the end,” King said.

“Cuz [Andrew Curry] grew an extra leg and bowled awesome, a big fella like him on a deck like that is always going to be hard to handle.”

Archer backed him up with 3-44, King only using the two bowlers.

Opener Andy Benetti hit 15 and Nick Day 21 before Ben Murphy renewed Services’ hopes with 23. Clifford also made a quick-fire 11, King admitting that he thought it could be the end for them when Clifford came out and “went bang bang”. But then Curry bowled him.

“They could've batted a bit smarter as well and taken the game away from us but that is probably Armidale cricket, we haven't played a lot of cricket because of the weather and the byes,” King said. 

“No one has got in their groove at all because there's no batting scores at all.” 

“I'm not complaining about the wicket but that's what made the scores low I imagine.” 

“We haven't played a lot of cricket so we were very thankful to get a game of cricket in and we were just lucky to be on the right side of the run board.”

Hillgrove had seven regulars unavailable and had to call up a number of second graders.

 and we had Adam Partiridge make his first grade debut.