Cooper Finlay Veterans Cricket – State of Origin
Kevin Pike | May 25, 2023
When it comes to inter-state sporting rivalry, nothing whets the appetite of sporting enthusiasts more than NSW against Queensland!
In 2002 Kevin Pike recalls being at the Gabba Test (Hayden’s Test) and running into an old school mate, Geoff Gallagher, who played with the Queensland Cricketers Club. Queensland Cricketers Club, I knew, played their season as a Veterans Touring side and soon after with Geoff’s introduction I met the famous Lew Cooper, manager of QCC. Lew was a gentleman of cricket and a great raconteur and after several telephone calls between us we set up the annual clashes between Armidale Golden Oldies and QCC with the first match played at Federation Park, Tenterfield on 9th March 2002.
At that time there was no cricket played at all in Tenterfield, other than this annual match between the two veterans’ teams from Armidale and Queensland. Alan Donges (ex- St Peters & Easts Clubs in Armidale) was then a resident accountant and citizen of Glen Innes and was very keen to have some cricket being played in Tenterfield and he arranged the wicket preparation and all match arrangements. Although the first two contests were very close wins to QCC within a run or two, most of the annual clashes between the teams were a little one-sided. I can’t find the score card, but I remember, Armidale eventually turned the tables in 2008 with Andrew McNeill (ex- Waratahs Club, Armidale), as a ‘‘hired gun”, travelling down from Brisbane to join the Armidale team. Interestingly, Andrew’s biggest impact in the match was his batting as he top-scored for Armidale, this ensuring the Queensland score was eclipsed.
First Cooper Finlay match, Tenterfield- 2008
Also in April 2008, the inter-state Over 60s Cooper- Finlay matches were instituted following set -up negotiations between NSW Secretary Kevin Finlay and Lew Cooper. The Tenterfield 2008 series was used as a promotional exercise, with all the executive committee; Peter Richardson, Kevin Finlay and Bill Sadler from NSW Over 60s in Tenterfield for the series. Again, Alan Donges, having developed a rapport with Lew Cooper over the previous six years, volunteered to organise the match day preparations and attended to the rolling of the wicket at Shirley Park.
On Day One (8th April) there was a match between NSW “City” and NSW ‘’Country”. The Country team comprised players from Tamworth and Armidale. Armidale representatives were, Phil Allen, Graeme Andrews, Kevin Pike and Rob Heath (13th). Terry Kniepp (Tenterfield), a past President of Northern Cricket Council and Ralph Weatherley, played in this match with the City team. This was our introduction of New England players to New South Wales - Over 60’s cricket, later re-naming as Veterans Cricket NSW.
On Day 2, the first official Cooper Finlay match took place with the temperature not exceeding 14 degrees. This was indeed an extreme weather shock for both the Queensland and Sydney and Central Coast, ”City” players, not being used to the Tablelands variable weather, particularly in April!
The Queensland team included Geoff Dymock, who had played 21 tests and 15 one-day internationals for Australia. Six others also had Sheffield Shield cricket experience. Those players were: Dennis Lilley; Lew Cooper (Manager); Colin Cooke; John Mc Mahon; Don Allen; Mike Lucas and John Bell. The other Queensland team members were: Greg Baker (Deceased), Ross Chapman, John Stackpoole, Bob Joyce, Brian and Neville Kratzman and Mal Campbell. Ross Chapman played representative cricket for Qld Metropolitan Colts. You guessed it! Queensland won the first interstate match with Geoff taking 3 wickets for 5 runs from his eight overs.
Bill Sadler recalls,” It was a miserable day! There was some rain and mist around because the pitch surrounds were quite muddy. We were well beaten to the extent that when Howard Reay and I went into bat towards the tail, our Captain Peter Richardson told us just to stay there, to ensure we didn’t lose all our wickets. I see now from the match score-sheets that we just managed to hold on. The dismal post- match atmosphere amongst the New South Welshmen evaporated in the wonderful camaraderie experienced afterwards, between the two teams over dinner in the bowling club adjoining the playing field’’.
The New South Wales team included several players with Grade experience in Sydney Grade cricket. These were, John Pym, Len Hardy and Ralph Sadler. Pymmie is a real character! I recall reading a Geoff Lawson article some years ago, in which he credited John Pym as being the first Sydney player to wear a helmet in Sydney Grade.
Len Hardy was a very good “offie” and played with Western Suburbs, back in the day, and Ralph with St George. Pymmie, played with Jim Burke, Barry Rothwell and Peter Philpott at Manly in the 1966/67 season, before moving inter-state for work. John was also an “ideas man “and invented a bat with a terrific “sweet spot”, according to him, by cutting both shoulders off the bat! A significant amount of timber was removed from both shoulders and replaced on the reverse side making his bat looked like a paddle. How he could middle those beautiful cover derives, I’ll never know! (He is also fondly remembered as having created quite a stir at a match in the Southern Highlands in 2010, when he brought two sweet Thai girls to the match in his van, out-fitted with a couple of mattresses, to facilitate massage sessions for any player with muscle soreness. Well, it was lucky that the match finished, as funny thing, most of the guys suffered injuries requiring attention!)
On his return to Sydney John Pym played with Mosman. The story is told that in 1973/74 season John came up with a strategy to play Jeff Thomson, that being to get Barry Knight to crank the bowling machine at practice to a click under 100 mph! On match day, against Bankstown John realises ”Unbelievable, this ball is coming down at least 10% faster than the machine!”
John Pym captained the NSW Over 60s 1ST XI at the 4th Annual National Over 60s Championships held in Launceston in 2009.
Cooper Finlay Series 2, Tenterfield -2009
In March 2009, the 2nd year of matches against Queensland in Tenterfield, four Matches were played with both States fielding teams from City and Country. On Day One, NSW City 189 were defeated by Qld Country 210 at Federation Park and NSW Country 102 were defeated by Qld City 3/104 at Shirley Park.
On Day 2, NSW Country 7/194 was defeated by Qld Country 6/222 and NSW City 9/120 defeated Qld City 119. This was the first match won by NSW in Cooper- Finlay competition. Notwithstanding this match success, the 2009 Series was won by Queensland 3-1.
NSW
Back Row - Kev Pike, Phil Allen, Doug Truman, Gil McGrath, Col Barton, Mick Watkins, Mike Cashman, Barry Olsen
Front Row - Trevor Andrews, Graeme Andrews, Graham Abbott, Ron Farrell.
Cooper Finlay Series 3, Stanthorpe and Tenterfield-2010
The 2010 series is memorable because of the outstanding bowling for Queensland City in the first match by Geoff Dymock at Sheehan Oval, Stanthorpe. On a green top wicket in the match against NSW Country, Geoff was almost unplayable and Kevin Pike recalls going in to bat with the NSW score at 4-13. Geoff took five wickets for very few runs and also of note was in the Queensland innings, Mick Watkins from Tamworth, who bowled incredibly well taking 4 wickets for 18 with his off -breaks. Day One results: Qld City 8/198 d NSW Country 119 (Ron Farrell 33), whilst Qld Country 231 d NSW City 125.
On Day 2 at Shirley Oval, Tenterfield, in the match against Queensland Country Armidale’s Graeme Andrews, who captained the team on Day 2, scored a handy 26 and Phil Allen took a wicket. Ron Farrell (Tamworth) was best of the bowlers with match figures 4/10. However, Queensland Country with a score line of 9/251 were far too strong with NSW Country restricted to 156 (Ron Farrell 47).
The third series-2010, was a white-wash to Queensland 4-0.
NSW
Back Row - Kevin Finlay, Maurie Hamilton, John Dettman,, Graeme Andrews, Graham England, Mick Watkins
Front Row - Phil Allen, Ron Farrell, Kev Pike, Greg Raffin, Mike Cashman, Doug Truman.
Cooper Finlay Series 4, Armidale- 2011
Series 4 in 2011 was played in Armidale and for the first time New South Wales had a “home-town” advantage with Armidale being some distance from the Queensland border! This was the first year in which the New South Wales selectors choose to run with the Waratahs and Blues selections rather than City and Country, with the thinking being, that mixed selections would be more competitive against two strong Queensland teams. The NSW Waratahs included New England players: Mike Porter, Tony Corcoran, Graham Andrews (Captain), Phil Allen, Peter Rickards, Graham Patterson (Day 2) and former Armidale resident, Kev Pike. Former Armidale resident, Brian Rhodes was selected to play with NSW Blues.
In the absence of most NSW city- based players, the strong Tamworth contingent in the NSW Blues team, under the captaincy of Albie Barwick, set up the series win due to some great batting by Barwick, Peter Virgen, Peter Boyd Col Barton, Doug Truman and Mike Cashman, to win both of the team’s matches.
The NSW Waratahs caused an upset by defeating the Dennis Lilley led Qld City team by 30 runs!
The NSW Waratah’s win was set up by great opening bowling by both Armidale’s Mike Porter and Dennis Moran (Quirindi).
(I recall being called for a “no- ball” delivery, with a high full-toss catching the top edge of Dennis Lilley’s bat straight to Mike Porter at fine square. I thought for a second that I had taken the captain’s wicket!). The 2011 Armidale -series was won by NSW 3-1, this being the very first time that the Cooper Finlay Cup is inscribed with NSW as champions!
The 2011 Series in Armidale proved to be the turning of the tide in favour of New South Wales, with this and seven of the next nine Cooper Finlay Series being won by New South Wales!
Summary of Score sheet NSW Blues team victory 2011 and clipping/photo Albie Barwick
The history of Armidale cricket was well represented across the 16 teams that were selected to play in Cooper Finlay 2022 in Brisbane, with 15 players selected across the 5 age-groups. Unfortunately, the carnival was cancelled before a ball was bowled, due to the record -breaking rains, falling in the south -east corner of Queensland.
