ON THIS DAY - 22nd March
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | March 22, 2024
In 1959, B grade rolled Hillgrove for 99 in their semi-final, Nigel Richardson (5-43) and Tony Morriss doing the damage but John Frost bolstered the innings as they tired. Richardson then opened and was the only Waratahs batsman to reach double figures in an inglorious response of 59, on a cold and Frosty afternoon. Hillgrove had batting practice for for the Final for the remainder.
Waratahs v Hillgrove (Semi) - B grade, 21st & 22nd March 1959
In 1969, KEITH McINTYRE (#129) and BRENDON McGEE (#200) gave A-Res the best possible start in their semi-final v Teachers, with an opening stand of 166.
In 1981, all four Waratahs sides engaged across the three grades. 1sts scrapped home against Hillgrove on a deadly track, with Gillard and Hickey almost too much for them. Roger Sattler reports: "A top game of cricket. The wicket was a minefield, with umpire Errol Browning describing it as his favourite of all time as the ball was seaming all over the place. It was no surprise under those conditions that Shakes Mullen ran through them. Also no surprise that Connolly and Schaefer, the two technically best batsmen playing in the game, were really the only ones to prosper." MICHAEL CONNOLLY (#293) carried his bat in Waratahs 1st innings, one of only eight batsmen to do so for Waratahs in any grade.
Waratahs v Hillgrove (Semi) - 1st grade, 21st & 22nd March 1981
In A-Res grade, Waratahs had both teams in the semis. The Vets, minor premiers, won handsomely against Hillgrove, with strong resistant batting on the Saturday from Connolly, Philp and Barwick, who was silky smooth with the tail. Joice and Trestrail soon had the strong batting line up of Hillgrove 3-8, trouble they never recovered from.
Waratahs Vets v Hillgrove (Semi) - A-Res grade, 21st & 22nd March 1981
A-Res joined the Vets in the Final, despite all of their star batsmen failing. Henderson's top score was a fine dig, with his side in dire straights at 5-26 and he was eventually ninth man out. Supported by O'Shea and Cridland, Waratahs looked shaky but but Tilbury and Bradley made early early inroads, Patto bamboozled the TAS middle order with his mystery spinners, till the opening bowlers returned to finish it.
Waratahs v TAS (Semi) - A-Res grade, 21st & 22nd March 1981
The floggers of St Kilda proved too much for a game group of youngsters led by Jim Pollard. Williamson (6-34) rose to the occasion after St Kilda had got away early but then Waratahs top order failed and it was left for the tail to fight a losing battle. St Kilda spent enough time at the crease a second time around to kill and comeback. This side featured four Waratahs juniors who would go on to be 1st grade regulars.
Waratahs v St Kilda (Semi) - B grade, 21st & 22nd March 1981
In 1987, 1st again proved too strong for Hillgrove in a semi-final overpowering. With GRAHAM JOHNSO N (#207) and wicketkeeper MARK DYMOCK (#523) both taking three catches and a miserly bowling attack, Hillgrove never got off the ground. Waratahs, led another classic BRIAN RHODES (#525) super-heated hundred, blotted Hillgrove out of the game TB had put the frighteners in them early doors.
Waratahs v Hillgrove (Semi) - 1st grade, 21st & 22nd March 1987
5th grade handed out a complete hiding to the men from Wollomombi, rolling them in 38 painfully tight overs and then smashing their bowlers to all points in a run riot on Saturday afternoon and deep into Sunday. Waratahs (9dec) 500 equalled the record highest team score for any Waratahs side, which they had set early in the same season. Oddly, in such a high score, there were no century partnerships, MICHAEL HANDES (#518) and MARTIN CAMPBELL (#490) grade record 98 for the 7th wicket being the highest. SIMON JOYCE (#512) made his highest Waratahs score of 144 opening the batting and Campbell made 105 not out. Skipper Ian Campbell, typically kept sliding down the order and declared without having a dig himself. Seven of this team would be 1st grade regulars within three seasons.
Waratahs v Wollomombi (Semi) - 5th grade, 21st & 22nd March 1987
In 1992, 1st grade folded like a house of cards in a cyclone, losing early wickets to the quicks and then being completely wiped out by Nobby Baillie's spin. Had it not been for a superb Daniel Ryan spell on the Saturday, they would never had been in the hunt.
Waratahs v Easts (Semi) - 1st grade, 21st & 22nd March 1992
In 1998, 3rd beat Hillgrove Colts on the back of Gavin Finlayson's batting and Ian Ellis' bowling, in a game which Waratahs always had under control.
Waratahs v Hillgrove Colts (Semi) - 3rd grade, 21st & 22nd March 1998
4th grade had a commanding victory over Easts, Lindsay McIntyre playing the innings of the match in one of his infrequent appearances for the season. Earlier, it was the two old campaigners, Davis, introduced after seven other of his younger team mates had bowled and Roan, who showed their class with typically tight and destructive spells which destroyed a promising Hillgrove start.
Waratahs v Hillgrove Colts (Semi) - 4th grade, 21st & 22nd March 1998
