An under-strength Hillgrove fronted up to face cross-town rivals, and reigning Armidale cricket first grade premiers, Easts on Saturday.
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Easts were vying to bounce back after a four-run loss to Guyra the week before, and did so in emphatic style.
Hillgrove were without the competition's second-highest run-scorer in Matt Baillie as well as key players Josh Croft and Matt Schaefer.
Easts took full advantage of the trio's absence, setting a formidable total of 349.
Clarrie Moran was at his best with 150 which featured 16 fours and eight sixes.
He combined with Cody Graham for a partnership of 228, Graham scoring 96 before he departed.
The duo were the standouts as the remaining Easts batsmen were dismissed for a combined total of 56, along with 23 extras.
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In the absence of opener Baillie, a Hillgrove rookie stood tall as they attempted to chase down Easts' total.
Fifteen-year-old Sam Johnson scored his team's highest run total with 77, including 11 fours, after opening the batting.
Johnson was miles in front of his team's next best in Brad King with 29.
Easts' skipper Sam Uphill applauded Johnson's efforts, along with fellow teenager Olly Schmude.
"I always envy Hillgrove when they can find five or six young 15, 16 year-olds to play first grade and they hold their own," he said.
"He [Johnson] put up a big fight.
"He has got a bit of mongrel in him, it is good.
"Me in particular, enjoys that sort of battle.
"The other one was Olly Schmude, he bowled really well.
"It is pretty tough for a young leggie to come into first grade but he was probably the pick of their bowlers at the end of the day."
Schmude picked up one wicket with opening bowlers Sean Skinner and Max Laurie claiming the bulk of them.
Skinner finished with 5-35 from his nine overs and Laurie a tidy 4-37 from 8.5.
After bold claims in the Armidale Express last week that Dean Waters would "get around both" Baillie and leading run-scorer Kyle Taylor in the numbers' charts, Uphill was forced to eat his words when his opener was dismissed for nine.
"I copped a bit of flack about it too, Matt Baillie didn't miss out and I think Kyle Taylor had a fair response on the weekend too from what I heard," he said.
"It is only early in the season."
For the Easts bowlers, Uphill managed 2-26 off nine overs, Dean Waters claimed two, Clarrie Moran one and Mitch Foster took 4-51.
"To be honest, he [Foster] has probably the pick of our bowlers this year; he has bowled very good line and length without reward," Uphill said.
"They [Hillgrove] got into him at the end, he leaked a few runs but that is what is going to happen this year so you just have to take the good with the bad."