1970-71: A Grade Runners-Up & Minor Premiers; A Reserve Grade semi-finalists

NOTABLE GAINS: Bob Barwick, Terry Mackenzie, John Donnelly, G Vivian

NOTABLE LOSSES: K Baldwin, Bob Brennan, Brendan McGee, Allan Cox

This was wettest cricket season in Waratahs history and the evidence can be seen in the high number of drawn games right through the playing program. In all, 8 of the A Grade side's 14 matches were draws, leaving the team undefeated coming into the Final against Ex Services. After losing a day in each of the first two games, the side played hardly any cricket after Christmas, with only an all day game against St Peters unaffected and then three games - Bundarra, Unicorns and Ex Services - were completely washed out as 325mL fell in January and February. To cap their frustration, the last game before the semis against Uralla also lost a day to rain. In all, A Grade missed nine playing days.

If weather wasn't reason enough to be frustrated, A Grade played yet another Final against Ex Services and lost, despite finishing the season as Minor Premier. John Donnelly joined the A Grade and made a good impression as the newest member of the four pronged pace attack that Waratahs traditionally liked to have. Terry Mackenzie's return after a seasons's absence took some pressure of Brian Joice and Tom Cooke. Bob Barwick joined the club and managed a 7fa in an early game in Reserves. Alan Cox left after a brief flirtation back in the colours the previous season but the biggest loss was all rounder Bob Brennan who called it a day after 11 very successful seasons in A and Reserve grade, with centuries in each.

A Grade

The start against Page College was impressive, with debutant Donnelly and Joice taking four wickets each and Bill Thompson and Alan Gray strolling towards first innings points, only to be stumped by rain. It was the same story in the second game against Armidale Teachers College, as Waratahs had runs on the board from Gray and Brian Connolly and good knock from Greg Russell, fresh from a first round Reserve Grade hundred. Rain ruined a result on day two. When two days finally became available, Wright College batted a team of Tavare's and crawled to two hundred. Gray launched a stunning counter attack, smashing a stroke filled 76 in an opening stand of 103 against Thompson but time beat them.

Bored with draws, Waratahs won the next four games before Christmas, three of them outright. Connolly and Graham Johnson added 107 4th wicket and aided by Thompson and Betts dominated Bundarra as Waratahs only lost four wickets in getting past two hundred before declaring. Bundarra were four down by stumps, Cooke leading the attack with three of them. On the second day, John Roberts cleaned out the tail, whilst Cooke and Joice made swift work of bowling Bundarra a second time for maximum points. Unicorns gave Waratahs their first stiff opposition of the season but after Graham Johnson missed a century in a rescue mission and Keith McIntyre stayed with him, Waratahs prevailing by twenty runs, with all credit going to Joice who bowled with spice. At Newling Oval, Easts were no match for Waratahs despite Don Foster crashing through the openers. McIntyre, batting at three, was showing the benefit of all those Reserve Grade runs and then Russell, followed by Roberts built a total over two hundred. Easts were out twice on the second day, Connolly destroying the first innings with offies and Joice the second with his left arm quicks. To cap a fine run, Thompson, Connolly and Johnson got fast runs at the Sportsground against Churches and declared early, allowing Connolly to make inroads before stumps. Joice cleaned up on the second day, after Waratahs again batted without caution to get a total.

By Christmas, Waratahs led the competition.

Then smart cricket and rain drew the five games to the semi-finals. In early January, Bede Ryan lashed our bowlers for a hundred at Lambert Park. As with most times the game got tough, Cooke bowled his best spell of the season. Batting second, Terry Betts, after another spell in Reserves, played a steady hand opening in place of the absent Thompson, saving the game with a 90 run partnership for the third wicket with Johnson.

The next six weeks slipped slowly by in a deluge of rain. The only other round game after Christmas was the last before the semis against Uralla at Harris Park. Although Waratahs didn't achieve a large total, Betts opened successfully again, this time for Gray. Uralla were on the ropes, but with Geoff Wood not out and Walter Taylor yet to bat, it may have been interesting

Finishing Minor Premiers gave Waratahs the advantage into the finals and it was one they used against St Peters in the semi. St Peters against got good runs and after batting all of the first day, they declared nine down. Cooke bowled two long spells for a bag of five as Keith Smith batted with a degree of mastery over the Waratahs bowlers. On the second day, after Thompson and Connolly both made starts before falling to Walker, Gray played a fine hand which was cut short when Foster slipped through his defence. Greg Russell then played his best A Grade hand to date, adding 53 with Joice before Foster bowled him as they day tailed off. Roberts and Donnelly settled in behind the ball for an unbeaten stand of 28 for the 8th wicket and a well earned draw.

The Final against Ex Services was Waratahs fourth in five seasons and the third against Ex Services. The Ex Services side had been the dominant one of the past eight seasons but there were signs it was beginning to wane. A lack of play owing to rain worked against them worse than Waratahs and Ex Services outstanding opening bowler Rene Mullen was returning from injury. Everything pointed to it being time for a change. Waratahs batted first and the Mullen factor was soon in play, as Alan Gray's horror run in finals continued when Blair caught him off Mullen's bowling in the first over. The rest of the Waratahs innings was a succession of partnerships started, making it into the twenties and then being broken. More times than not it was Mullen that broke them. Greg Russell batted with the sort of assurance his promise had indicated and he would always be able to reflect on top scoring in both semi and final. The day ended, however, with Ex Services in control.

The second day, in early April, was a belter. After all the rain, more would have been welcomed by Waratahs. On a responsive picth, Miller and Blair added 52 for the first wicket and the largest of the match before Connolly made the much needed break when Blair got a thin edge through to Betts. Browning, batting up the order to drop anchor, helped Miller to take the score to 81 before Cooke sent one from the edge of his bat to an exuberate Betts. 42 was required when Ian McLean, the new man in, was left stranded in a mix up and was run out for a duck! In the next over, Johnson held the first of three great catches to dismiss Browning off Joice and after the change of ends, Mullen copped a duck, bowled by Cooke. Ex Services had lost 4-0 and were now in grave trouble at 5-85. Ray Rose and Speck added twenty before Joice struck again through Johnson's safe hands and a few balls later Roberts caught Mick Hawkins and Ex Services looked a beaten side. Tony Ryan joined Rose in the unusual position of having to win a match when all of the other match winners were already back in the stands. Cooke and Joice threw everything at them but slowly they added the additional 39 runs needed for victory. With the game won, Ryan was stumped by Betts of Joice and Johnson finished it off bowling Joe Biddle.

Waratahs were runners up for the four time in five seasons but this time, in a real battle to the finish.

In a limited season, no batsmen passed three hundred for the season. Graham Johnson (289) had the most runs, followed by Bill Thompson (257), Alan Gray (239) and Brian Connolly (234 at 33.43) who had the best average. Greg Russell (209) had his best A Grade season to date. Brian Joice (41 wickets at 11.39) was far and away the best bowler. Tom Cooke had his leanest season with 23 wickets. Terry Betts (8 cat & 2 stump) took the most catches and Joice and Gray each took 7.

A Reserve Grade

Thanks to rain and only sporadic appearances in the newspaper records, this is probaby among the most under reported Reserves season, which is a pity as they were defending premiers and were maintaining a long unbeaten record.

The only record of the first game against Page College is held in the statistical database and it shows that Greg Russell scored a century. It was his fifth and final hundred for Waratahs, all scored in Reserves. The team had a bye in the second round and then the three games against Teachers, Robb and de la Salle Colleges are a mystery. Hillgrove beat them in the next game, despite John Russell's six wickets and their win against Uni Vets with G O'Halloran taking 7-14 is the only win recorded for the year. There must have been more as they were third on the table at Christmas.

At Harris Park in early January, Easts nearly pulled off an outright. Bob Barwick bowled his leggies for a career best in a match where Easts second innings 8-90 was the highest score. With only the first week possible against Hillgrove, Waratahs had played itself into a dominant position with McDonald top scoring but both Terry Betts and Greg Russell playing down a grade and making runs, more than likely because A Grade was washed out. Paul Muldoon was on his way to a bag of wickets but for the rain. The next game against St Peters was rained out. Against the the eventual Premiers, Uni Vets in a one day game, John Roberts top scored after A Grade was called off and Wayne Holloway also batted well. In a nail biting finish, Vets needed 13 runs and Waratahs 2 wickets before the game ended as an exciting draw. The last game against Easts was not reported.

Familiar to semi finals, Waratahs went into this game with a strong chance of progressing after beating and drawing with the Uni Vets team in regular season. Ian Campbell, batting at No.3, top scored for Waratahs in what proved to be a disappointing innings. Wayne Holloway, Tony Failes and Bob Barwick all made starts, Barwick the only one of them not to be bowled. The tail had as much wag as a Smithfield Heeler and it was always going to be a struggle to hold Uni Vets to such a moderate total. O'Halloran did his best with an inspired spell before stumps of 4-18, which had the Vets staggering at one stage to 4-24, Holloway and Barwick holding good catches. On the second day, Vets opener Cartwright, who had withstood O'Halloran's firey spell at the close of the first day, failed to appear and was declared out, absent, reducing the Vets to 5-44. Yeates gave O'Halloran his fifth wicket and Barwick picked up Rothwell soon after and Waratahs looked to have the semi in its control at 7-71. No matter who they tried, no one could part Rayner and Canfell and the pair chanced their arm to add the 56 runs needed for victory.

So close but so far ... it could be the Waratahs motto!

There is not enough data to report on stats for the Reserve Grade season.