ON THIS DAY - 4th March
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | March 04, 2024
In 1967, it was the tale of two bowlers fortunes. In A grade, TOM COOKE (#197), on the first day of the 1966-67 Premiership Final, routed the impossibly strong Ex Services side, taking 7-49 in their total of 124. Cooke had the first four batsmen - Wally Miller, Ray Blair, Keith Smith and Ian McLean - out by the time the score was 13 but Ex Services were saved by skipper Errol Browning's 73. Waratahs huge opportunity was soon lost as Alan Gray was run out in the first over and in the hour left to bat until stumps, they slumped to 6-31. The destroyer was Rene Mullen, who took 4-9 in what the Armidale Express described as "a fiery spell", leaving Waratahs in tatters.
In the A-Res grade Final, University made 6-294, with John Bowdler making an unbeaten 127. K LUCAS (#210) suffered the indignity of raising a bowlers hundred, with 3-102.
In 1972, CLIFF SCHAEFER (#246) made his only Waratahs hundred, 100 not out, as A-Res grade chased down Easts moderate first day total. PAUL BENDEICH (#239) was too much for Easts, taking 12-52 (4-28 & 8-24) in an outright victory. (detailed scorecard unavailable)
In 1978, TONY SCANLON (#308 - pictured) made his only Waratahs hundred, with 103 not out for A-Res grade v Centrals.
Waratahs v Centrals - A-Res grade, 4th & 11th March 1978
Waratahs 4-296 (Tony Scanlon 103x, Graham Frost 66, Col Mack 46, Tim Muldoon 44x, Graham Paterson 24).
