ON THIS DAY - 4th December
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | December 04, 2023
(pictured) Alec Finlayson
In 1954, ROSS RIDLEY (#8) snared the most stumpings in an innings by a Waratahs keeper, when he effected 4 of them, all from the part timer H Forbes in the A grade victory over Wests. He also picked up a catch off Joe Leahy to give him 5 dismissals for the innings. Forbes only bowled a handful of overs in his two seasons but on this afternoon he was turned from a sow's ear into a silk purse by the quality of the keeping. Ridley was only of a short stature, always dressed impeccably and according to opposition batsmen, sharp, consistent and lightning quick.
Waratahs v Wests - A grade, 4th & 11th December 1954
In 1971, A grade flogged the inexperienced TAS outfit, winning by an innings and plenty. After making a moderate 173 on the first day, TOM COOKE (#197) 11-31 (5-16 & 6-15) and Terry Mackenzie took all but one of the 20 wickets to fall and brushed aside the TAS lads for just 39 and 29. The TAS second innings is the lowest total ever recorded against A/1st grade. It was a day of harsh lessons for the school boys, many of which would go on to become pretty fair cricketers, including a future Waratahs A grade skipper, Brian Mair. In his dotage, Mairy loves to claim good batsmen never get bowled, yet the scoresheet tells another story. In their defence, Cooke was just firing up in a season in which he would claim 51 wickets.
Waratahs v TAS - A grade, 27th November & 4th December 1971
In 1976, GRAHAM JOHNSON (#207) made 114 not out of A grade's 8-244, after spending the week between playing days on 97. After adding 70 with Brian Connolly for the 3rd wicket, Guiley dominated the second half of the innings, with only the last of batsmen five through ten making double figures. The match was drawn as a thin Waratahs bowling line up couldn't take ten wickets on the second afternoon.
Waratahs v Hillgrove - A grade, 27th November & 4th December 1976
In 1982, ALEC FINLAYSON (#340) was 3rd grade's backbone, making 130 of 236 v Hillgrove. Finno was a baseballer so he was an excellent fieldsman and wicketkeeper and devastating on the cross bat shots. Once he hit them, they stayed that way. His record is impressive: 2,565 runs @ 30.54 with three hundreds with the bulk of his runs coming in 2nd & 3rd grade. In 3rds, he averaged 39 in more than thirty innings. As a keeper, he is second only in dismissals to Terry Betts, with 78 (67 cat, 11 st).
