ON THIS DAY - 23rd March
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | March 23, 2024
As we March on through the month, less semis and now some Waratahs Finals start to be remembered. Today, one of the bitterest tastes ever left in the mouth of Waratahs players.
SEMI-FINALS
In 1963, Tadcoop were a mere blip on the radar of B grade's full-throated race toward the Premiership, as they were hardly noticed in Waratahs innings victory. McDonald and Marshall's grip on the whole competition was again clearly demonstrated. On the first day, they took the new ball and bowled unchanged as seven of the Tadcoop batsmen were bowled and Marshall took 7-34. The top order then had a lot of batting fun, running up a 238 run lead, with MICK HALPIN (#170) and GEOFF MARSHALL (#156) adding 125 for the first wicket and along with McDonald, getting half centuries. Tadcoop fared little better batting a second time, Schaefer atoning for his first innings duck but McDonald (5-23) again cleaned up. John Russell (4-16), the smiling donkey dropper, gave a taste of what he would do in future finals.
Waratahs v Tadcoop (Semi) - B grade, 16th & 23rd March 1963
In 1968, A grade gave Churches a hiding, with Tom Cooke again prominent with the ball. On the first day, he opened and bowled unchanged through the innings and he and Kellaway waltzed through the batting order. Waratahs fielding superbly, with outstanding grabs by Kellaway, Johnson and Gray noted in the Armidale Express. Despite an early setback at the hands of Joice, the top order secured the win and JOHN ROBERTS (#115) and COOKE (#197) added 105 for the 8th wicket, tidying up loose ends, enjoying the thought of a Final. Churches side had 5 former or future Waratahs players.
Waratahs v Churches (Semi) - A grade, 16th & 23rd March 1968
FINALS
In 1975, both the top grades suffered crushing defeats in the Finals. Brian Connolly and Graham Johnson were the only batsmen to make inroads against a high quality Ex Services, sharing a partnership of 70. With Ex Services winning the toss and bowling on a wet deck, Mullen again made mayhem among the top order but Smooth's 80 was one of the great Final's innings, holding secure while all around him was chaos. With a moderate total in the bank and Donnelly reducing Servies to 6-77, it should have been in the bag but Mullen again took the Final away from Waratahs, dominating a 7th wicket partnership with Reg Hurst with an oft repeated free hitting display.
Waratahs v Ex Services (Final) - A grade, 22nd & 23rd March 1975
A-Res grade had won as they liked all season on the back of Brian Joice's 87 wickets and were expected to win. Hillgrove made a good start but collapsed from 3-95. Chasing a moderate total, Waratahs batting fell in a most dreadful heap, with future A grade top liners, Gibbons and Buttler scything through all but Waratahs skipper Ian Campbell, who played an honourable lone hand.
Waratahs v Hillgrove (Final) - A-Res grade, 22nd & 23rd March 1975 (no scoresheet available)
Hillgrove 188 (Brian Joice 4-71); Waratahs 107 (Ian Campbell 47. Tony Butler 3-25, Phil Gibbons 3-42)
In 1986, it was pleasure and pain, winning when not expected in 2nds and losing a bitter and unpleasant match in 1sts (pictured). The Premiership that should have been Waratahs looked in comfortable reach as Centrals bowed before the quality of McNeill, Connolly and Sattler to be 5-68, with Drake taking three of his four innings catches. In an effort to ease the burden on his fellow quicks and consultation with them, Connolly rested them and the result allowed Browning to settle and Smith to find his way. By the time sanity was restored, 113 had been added and then the Centrals tail of unmitigated floggers chanced their luck successfully. Browning played one of the great Finals innings, rebutting an excellent attack early and blossoming with fine strokes into an excellent hundred. He then returned with the ball and along with Hickey's brute force, shattered Waratahs, the two bowling virtually unchanged. With the top order back in the Sportsground pavilion at 6-47, it was all over. Only Chris Drake stood up to the battering, in early and batting through the innings until he found a late ally in the very angry McNeill, taking on the bowling and cursing his batsmen all the while. If the on and off field aggression and self-belief of Centrals and the high quality of a few of their number were enough to win a Final in which they outplayed Waratahs, it was no excuse for the boorish, uncouth behaviour at the presentations which followed.
Waratahs v Centrals (Final) - 1st grade, 22nd & 23rd March 1986
2nds won their Final against a very strong Easts, thanks to consistent pressure from their bowlers and a man of the match unbeaten half century from Matt Campbell. Batting first, Campbell was in at 3-66 and steered Waratahs through a succession of promising partnerships cut short and a colourful innings from #11 Tilbury. Tills and Muldoon then made a good start with the new ball, having Easts 4-34 and the following bowlers maintained the pressure. Nick Piggott, batting at #3, shared a 61 run partnership with Baillie for the 8th wicket which threatened to take the game from Waratahs until Muldoon returned. With Piggott still there at nine down and having been dropped by Tilbury in the previous over at backward square, he sent another one towering into the heavens and the famous crocodile catching hands of Tilbury shook nervously under it, thinking only how he would face Skipper Johnson if he dropped another. He pouched it and the Premiership was theirs.
Waratahs v Easts (Final) - 2nd grade, 22nd & 23rd March 1986
