Celebrating the Centenary of the MWCA, Part 3: Season 1980/81
Manly Warringah Cricket Association | January 15, 2024
Please enjoy Part 3 of a look back at the 100 years of the Manly Warringah Cricket Association with a sneak peek from the yet to be titled book by Stephen Shepherd.
SEASON 61: 1980/81
THE MWCA WINS ITS MAIDEN TELEGRAPH SHIELD AS MANLY LEAGUES PRODUCE WINDIES STYLE BOWLING ATTACK
[ALSO KNOWN AS FATTY VAUTIN AND JOHNNY GIBBS PLAY FOR BALGOWLAH BEAVERS]
After several near misses over the decades the MWCA finally broken through for its first ever premiership in the Daily Telegraph Shield (U23) competition:
“It was a great team effort under the management of Fred Rosa and captaincy of Chris McCelleland”
Unfortunately there is no other information provided other than that David Rosa won the NSWJCU bowling award.
The Association also entered a Watson Shield (U16) team and they weren’t disgraced. Murray Pitt managed 100 runs and Michael Crews 9 wickets but they had been unlucky to lose their captain Bruce Minnett through injury.
Despite the potential to deny MWCA clubs young players coming through, Frank Gray applauded MWDCC's introduction of a fifth grade team for boys leaving the Saturday Boy's Saturday Morning Boys' Competition. He also congratulated the Warringah Cricket Club on entering a third team in the Metropolitan and Shire Competition:
“We can thank President Bruce Loudon for his leadership, that will ensure that in co-operation with this Association and the M.W. District Club that all young cricketers will have the opportunity to develop to higher level.”
Synthetic turf was rolled out with a further seven installed using “Gabba”, “Superturf” and “Simpson” turf. Mind you, the sooner the better:
“There was another serious injury to a batsman on a matting wicket on Nolans No. 2, and it is essential that all wickets in the area be converted as soon as possible to avoid the possibility of permanent injury.”
I must intervene here to say that I have always suspected that an evil lurks underneath the Nolans 2 pitch, and whatever form that evil takes it generally hates batsmen and batting sides.
During the 1979/80 summer of Tests the West Indies had brutalized the Australian batsmen with their four-pronged pace attack – Roberts, Holding, Garner and Croft – the three test series won by the Windies 2-0. Manly Leagues must have been watching because their First Grade (A1s) team presented in the spring of 1980 with their own version, Dennis Booth writing:
“In the final analysis M.W. Leagues with their devastating fast bowling attack of Ron Robison, Dave Rosa, Bob Oakes and Mick Van Duinen, proved too strong. The latter four bowlers all finished with a bowling average of less than ten runs per wicket – a remarkable performance.”
Manly Leagues finished 18 points ahead of Terrey Hills with the newly promoted St Thomas doing well to finish third. It was Manly Leagues' fourth top grade title. Ron Robison, who bowled more overs than his partners in crime, won the coveted bowling trophies with 56 wickets at 6.5, while John Bradshaw from St Thomas emerged as the leading batsman in the grade with 471 runs at 37.4.
Collaroy Plateau proved unassailable in Second Grade (A2s), finishing 24 points ahead of a Mona Vale side that contained the manager and the captain of the Telegraph Shield team. Ken McDermott broke a grade record for the Premiers with 34 catches, team-mate Robert Williams taking 50 wickets. Gordon Lasker took 41 wickets at 8.8 for Davison Park while the Steyne Hotel's Brian Cronan scored 358 runs at 39.8.
Then we stumble upon Third Grade (A3s). I look down the list and in last place is a team called Balgowlah Beavers in last spot with 35 competition points. I've said it about Bong XI and I'll say it again – if the Executive Committee knew what beaver meant this side would never have been admitted.
But wait, there's more! While none of the Beavers made the batting or bowling lists the “Scores of 50 or Over” section finds a top scorer for the Beavers: “P.Vautin 62x”. That has to be Fatty I say to my son. Then I look to the “Five or More Wickets in an Innings” column and there is only one Beaver – Fatty's best mate Johnny Gibbs, who took 5-33. Several months later both Fatty and Gibbsy would take their place in the iconic rugby league semi-final between Newtown and Manly at the SCG.
Terrey Hills were worthy winners of A3s, Manly Civic runners up for the second year in a row. Chris Sullivan and Michael Rolleston were leading performers for the Premiers, while Stephen Hodgkinson took 5/39 in a game with his loopy leggies. The individual trophies were shared – Graham Dudley scored an impressive 553 at 79 for Steyne Hotel while Manly Civic's Geoff Baggett averaged 9.4 with the ball, Paul Herringe from St Augustines OB's snaring the bowling aggregate with 61 wickets.
In Fourth Grade (B1s) Manly Leagues won their 12th premiership as a club with only one loss during the season. Robert Lenton scored 395 runs at 39.5 to win the batting average while Brian Lewis (51 wickets at 8.2) was their main strike weapon with the ball. The Leagues Club had finished 14% ahead of Christian Brothers Old Boys (70% win ratio from 12 games v 56% from 11 games). But it had been a marked improvement by CBOB who’d ended second last in this grade last season, their improvement most evident in the all-round efforts of Stephen Brown who took three of the four individual trophies with 67 wickets at 7.8 and 547 runs. The B1s also included a new side, Kuringai, for whom Bruce Scheffers, my PE teacher at Bally Boys in the early 1980s, took 42 wickets.
In their fourth season Killarney Heights won their first silverware with victory in Fifth Grade (B2s), finishing nine points ahead of St Mathews. The Premiers relied mainly on their batting which was led by Andrew Phipps (409 runs at 45.5), though team-mate Craig Goodhand played a good hand with 26 wickets at 5.6. Stephen Moss took 67 wickets and hit a high score of 153no for third placed Forest Anglicans while a new team debuting in this grade was Athelney, who won four of their 14 games.
Balgowlah RU sprung from sixth a season ago to first in Sixth Grade (B3s). Avalon were bridesmaids for the third year in a row, Seaview catching the bouquet in third. The standout players for the Premiers were Jim Bannerman who took 63 wickets at 8.2 and Lee Garnham who scored 340 runs at 34. Greg Dunn won the batting aggregate trophy with 428 runs at 32.9 for the unfortunate Avalon. In last place was a new team called Muvvers. Surely the Committee knew what that was short for. Or did they?
If it weren't for Mona Vale Hotel, Bong X1 would have won Seventh Grade (C1s) and lived on forever in the MWCA Premiership Honour Roll. But Mona Vale Hotel were never in any real danger, finishing undefeated and four wins ahead. C.Willett (44 wickets at 6) was the standout for the Premiers, but he and batsman D.Bright (287 runs) were runners up in the averages awards. Ross Jacobsen (Dee Why) averaged 25.3 with the bat and Rob Reardon scored 396 runs, but it was Stephen Hally from the Bong team who impressed the most with 65 wickets at 5.9.
While their Old Boys had won Fifths two years ago this was technically the first title for the Christian Brothers school itself, claiming Seventh Grade (C2s) by a 15 point margin over St Augustines. John Hiep was again a star with 509 runs but the batting trophies were snared by Geoffrey Dunstan who scored 611 runs at 47 for third placed Allambie. Anthony Crowley averaged 6.6 with the ball for the Premiers while Forest Anglicans' Craig Juergens ruined 52 souls.
Ninth Grade (C3s) again included interesting new team names - albeit less iconic than Bong X1 and Balgowlah Beavers – this year's examples being Wakehurst Taverners, Manly A.O.G and Manly Council. But longstanding club Clifton finished nine points ahead of Manly Council to win their third title and first in 15 years. Alan Weshman's 25 wickets came at just 4.9 for the Premiers while Tony Piper not only won the bowling aggregate with 67 wickets but also scored 448 runs. Chris Rudolph from Manly A.O.G. swept the batting trophies with 490 runs at 40.8.
Again, specifics were not provided but there was another ugly incident on the field:
“The Executive Committee only had to meet once during the season. This was to adjudicate on a charge of violent conduct during the course of a match in the last round. The decision of the Committee to suspend the player for five seasons will have to be ratified at the delegate's meeting on 3rd September, 1981.
Frank Gray was at pains to explain that the fact there had only been one suspension during the season did not mean there had been an improvement in the sportsmanship or attitude of players:
“Players are now accepting, or rather not reporting, on the many instances of sledging and other bad instances on the field that should not be tolerated.”
On a brighter note David Rosa, premiership winner and key member of the victorious Telegraph Shield side, was named Cricketer of the Year. The Sportsman Award went to Bill Inglis, the A1s opening bowler for DYRSL:
“The award is more commendable because as an opening bowler he was expected to have the “killer” instinct. He secured 52 wickets in the grade which proves that good guys can still be successful.
The Hon. Secretary was also able to report that Gavin Fletcher and Russell Pierce, members of the MWCA Watson Shield team of 1977/8, were selected in First Grade for Manly towards the end of the season, Fletcher also gaining selection in the NSW under 19s team.
The yet to be titled Centenary of the MWCA by Stephen Shepherd will be released in line with the Association's celebration of its 100 years.
?
