ON THIS DAY - 7th October
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | October 07, 2024
In 1961, DON FOSTER (#155) did the hat trick for B grade v TAS taking 6-5 and 3-1 as TAS made 26 and 7-16.
Waratahs v TAS - B grade, 7th & 14th October 1961
In 1978, two of the most impactful men to play for Waratahs and who would have an indelible influence on the club's 1980's success, made their debut on the same day, at different grounds.
TONY BENNETT (#355 - pictured left) was chaperoned to the club by his boss, Brian Connolly and his first game was for A-Res grade. The allrounder with the famous name made a steady start, scoring runs and taking wickets but it was at the AGM in 1980 that la revolution fired it first shots across the bows of tradition and accepted practice and sunk the floundering ship that was Waratahs. From the cauldron, the Pirate of the Plebeian rose to drag the club into an ethos which would change it from three teams who played for a club into a club with five teams. Fees were paid on time. People turned up to training. Selection was on merit - can you believe that. The rest, as they say, is history. Waratahs 80's greatness started with AJ Bennett. Midst that, he stepped to square leg to slash to off, bowled the fingernail ball as though he really was Imran Khan and inspired his team mates, young or old, to a greatness such that Saturday afternoons lasted until next Wednesday morning. His numbers are great - 2,169 runs @ 19.54 (85x), 263 wickets @ 19.48 (9-9) - but they are not his story.
ANDREW DAVIS (#364 - pictured right) played his first game in a B grade team captained for the day by Alan Gray, literally walking in the footsteps of greatness. He was tailor-made for the leadership roles he took during the 1980's - the everywhere man, smoothing out the creases with good humour and common sense and a fierce dedication to the game, let alone the club. Loyalty and honour are convenient buzz words to some but they are blood in the veins of Davo and he instilled that in the juniors he nurtured and old men he re-engaged in the business of Waratahs. Others, like Bennett, cut and slashed and tore down the pretence. Davo smoothed the rebuild, keeping the builders on track, right beside them, often pointing to their plumbers crack. His top score of 89, whilst an unfair reflection of his service, he would point out was just one of those lessons cricket taught him. He made 2,021 runs, took 46 catches and took 35 wickets - each one counted and priceless but included were a Pfeifer and a hat trick. A Whites Night immortal, was there ever a successful social function after 1980 that didn't include Father Abraham? It was fitting and indeed just, that he would be the first leader of the reconstructed Phoenix which rose from Waratahs ashes, The Tahs.
In 1989, there must have been something in the water or the air, because that day just went off. In 2nd grade, the half devil GRAHAM FROST (#333), made his highest club score, 174 not out v St Peters. In 3rd grade, JAMES CAMPBELL (#382) made 142 not out and 2nd wicket batting partner MARK DYMOCK (#523) 101 not out as they added a grade record 205 unbeaten against a hapless St Peters. For Dymock, it was a run of form like no other, which would see four hundreds before Christmas and a return to 1st grade, with a Premiership no less. In the same game, the unfulfilled number four, PETER LANGSTON (#357) held 3 catches in St Peters innings. NORMAN SCHWARZ (#569) did likewise in the 4ths win over YCW.
Waratahs v St Peters - 2nd grade, 7th October & 14th October 1989
Waratahs v St Peters - 3rd grade, 7th October
In 1995, ANDREW WILLIS (#675) and DANIEL EVANS (#632) were issuing a clarion call for Waratahs to be reconsidered for 1st grade, adding 112 for the 1st wicket for 2nds v Norths. Willis, then the club president, went on to score 110 in the first round win.
