St Peters Cricket Club Armidale 1959-2000
Armidale District Cricket Association | February 03, 2023
he following story has been contributed by Peter Hutchinson, Ian Watts and Kevin Pike whose combined years of association with St Peters Cricket Club spanned the four decades of the club's second era 1959-2000 and depicts the challenges and triumphs of a country town cricket club.
The early history of the Club is yet to be researched as there is evidence that the Club played, as an Anglican Church team in Armidale, in the early 1900’s. The church association continued in the latter half of the century. The Rev Colin Wellard and Verger, Walter Gerken as a benefactor contributing ten pounds, were instrumental in supporting the club's re-emergence after a meeting instigated by Peter Poggioli in the Cathedral vestry following a pre summer Sunday service. In acknowledgement of the sensitivity of the arrangement the first "unofficial" commercial sponsor of the club was Cyril Fitzgerald, licensee of Tattersalls Hotel.
In 1959, St Peters competed in the B Grade of the New England Cricket Association (later Armidale) and in 1960 nominated to play A Reserve, as the second grade competition was then called. Peter Poggioli, later mayor of Armidale, was the team captain in the inaugural years and was succeeded as team leader by Peter Hutchinson.
The results from the first match were less than auspicious but over the next forty seasons the Club's name is inscribed proudly on the First Grade trophies on four occasions.
Other early club members included Reon Gentle, David Robins, Bill Hutchinson, Ray Rose, Ken Lancaster (later in charge of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in NSW), Garry Taylor, George Guyer, Ken Behrend, Brian and Keith Coggan, Ted Knevitt, Kevin Ellem, John Henderson, Keith Schaefer, Lloyd Tilbury, Bob Walker, K Turner, Bruce Jacob, John Armstrong, B Wilson, W Pelley, Gordon Charlton, Frank Cutler, John Watson, Bruce Sergeant, David Croft, David Sanders, Michael Poggioli and Keith Smith.
Ian's memory is that he joined the club when he first came to Armidale in 1968 after playing cricket in England.
After his recruitment, St Peters entered a team in the A Grade competition. In 1968- 69 Peter Hutchinson was the Club's first A grade captain and at one stage the team was leading the competition but failed to make the finals in its first year.
The verger's generous donation had long since been spent by this time as Ian retells humorously that the club only had $1 in the bank!
As the membership had become more secular, weekly raffles of Tooths KB long necks commenced in the Imperial Hotel every Saturday with Vic Snell, the publican, being very supportive of the fledgling club.
Later sponsors included the New England Hotel (Mike Wilson), The Royal Hotel, The Armidale Club and The Armidale City Bowling Club.
In later years the club embarked on more ambitious fund raising projects including: Melbourne Cup sweeps and for three or four years a double wicket competition, the first of its type on the tablelands.
In 1969-70 the club secured the services of Bede Ryan and later Luke Foster which really made St Peters competitive.
At that time the club established the turf wicket at Lambert Park which became St. Peters home ground. Under Bede Ryan’s supervision and with support of members, Lambert Park was considered the best batting wicket in Armidale and the fastest drying.
Lambert Park
Ian remarked "I had the privilege of being elected President of St. Peters. During my term of office St. Peters was the first team to field 3 teams and the first team to field 5 teams. We won our first Club Championship which I considered the most important Trophy on the ADCA list as it involved everyone in the club."
In 1975 Brian Gream, John Thompson and Kevin Pike joined the club. In that year St Peters tied the A grade Championship with Waratahs as rain washed out the final. In the following year the club defeated Waratahs, after a thrilling century from David Mitchell, (Bundarra) and odd captaincy from an eccentric Stephen McMahon to win its first A Grade title outright.
In following years the Club won the A Grade Championship on two occasions, several second, third and fourth grade competitions one B grade and one 5th Grade premierships.
St Peters and Hillgrove pioneered the strategy and the importance of 1st grade teams coaching and encouraging junior cricket team development.
But as this generation of players of age retired, the clubs entity changed on the amalgamation with North Juniors in the 1990's and later Waratahs in 2000.
St Peters contributed an extraordinary amount of time to the Armidale District Cricket Association. Four of its members, Peter Poggioli, Bede Ryan, Brian Gream and Kevin Pike served as President, whilst Ian held the position of selector and auditor for many years. It was under Brian's Presidency that Armidale Club cricket reached its apex when 39 teams (excluding Guyra) competed in 5 grades.
One of Ian's delight s was playing cricket with his sons and the club scorebooks reflect many of the above family names that for two generations enjoyed the intergenerational and sibling companionship of summer days playing cricket together. Other family names include Armitage, Mulholland, Schultz, Gaden, Wittig, Tonkin and Whittley.
Even after so many years ,a shared cherished memory by all three contributors were the sumptuous afternoon teas served up by the ladies from Bundarra and Hillgrove Cricket Clubs on away match days!
St Peters Honours Board
St Peters is most proud of the achievements of its teams and the opportunities presented to its players for representative honours.
Luke Foster - Northern NSW v MCC
Keith Smith - South Aust. Country v S. Africa
Geoff Wood - Northern NSW Emu's, Northern Tablelands, NSW Country, Northern NSW v New Zealand, North Sydney (Sydney Grade).
Bill Hutchinson- Northern NSW Emu's, Northern Tableland
Stuart Hutton - Northern NSW Emu's, Northern Tableland
Paul Ryan – Northern Tablelands Colts, Northern Tablelands, NSW Under 19s, Western Suburbs, Mosman, St. George (Sydney Grade Cricket and Paul played NSW 2ndXI cricket)
Stuart Watts and Sam Davis- Northern NSW Emu's, Northern Tablelands (U17), Central North (U17), NSW Country U17
Bede Ryan and Ian Watts - Northern Tablelands
Brian Bower - Northern Tablelands Colts and Northern Tablelands
Peter Browning – Northern Tablelands Colts
Peter Snell – Northern Tablelands Colts
Anthony Marlin – Northern Tablelands Colts
David Watson - Northern Tablelands Colts
Phillip Melville - North West CHS, Mosman and Northern District (Sydney Grade Cricket), Australian Over 50s representative
Daniel Ryan - NSW Under 17s, Western Suburbs (Sydney Grade Cricket)
