Easts scored 7-446 in their first round victory against defending premiers City United at East Maitland Park but this weekend the roles will be reversed.

The Griffins will be in pursuit of the big total on Saturday as they search for win number two of the 2009-2010

season.

The Griffins require 302 runs to get across the line against Thornton Park at Thornton 1 on day two of the round four fixture, after the home team racked up its best total (9-301) in recent memory.

Griffins skipper Brendan Mills said he knows the importance of this weekend’s encounter and that this

performance would be an indicator of things to come.

“We will see exactly how we are sitting for the rest of the season,” Mills said.

“We have proved we can get runs against a good side, it is up to us to chase a decent score against an okay side.”

It was something the Griffins failed to do last round when they couldn’t chase down Weston’s 220.

The Griffins resumed day two on 2-78 but were dismissed for 168 and Mills said he would like to think his team had learnt its lessons.

“It was a bit disappointing to lose to Weston,” he said.

“They bowled well to the conditions and hopefully we have learnt from that.

“We need to respect our own wicket.”

The 52-run loss handed the Kurri-based team its first win of the season.

It would be the same scenario this weekend if, the so far winless Thornton defend its total, which means the Griffins are staring down the barrel of consecutive losses to teams without a win in 2009-2010.

And it comes on the back of an opening round win against the reigning champions (City) and a narrow loss, in a game the Griffins should have won, to last season’s grand finalists Northern Suburbs.

But Mills wants to put that behind him and concentrate on the task at hand.

“It should be a good chase,” Mills said.