1972-73: Reserve Grade 0ne Day Runners Up, Two Day Premiers

Notable Gains: Bruce Mathieson & David Lynch

Notable Losses: Allan Cox, Brian Mair, Brendan McGee, Greg Russell & Bill Thompson

After President Graham Johnson called on the club in his address in the previous Yearbook to follow up the breakthrough in winning the A Grade Premiership by adding a B Grade side, the club registered 45 players for the season. Despite the big numbers, the quality of the additions declined as two first grade champions, Allan Cox and Bill Thompson left and Greg Russell and Brendan McGee changed clubs. A young Brian Mair, who had played only one game over Christmas, went back to his TAS duties but would return later to eventually captain 1st Grade. David Lynch would make an impact in the top grade over the next few seasons and Bruce Mathieson, a maths teacher at Armidale High would have as much impact with his own batting as he did with the recruitment of young cricketers.

A Grade
The drain on the 1st Grade side was too much for it to handle, with the batting having relied on Bill Thompson for the previous five seasons and the consistent Allan Cox was gone from the top of the order. McGee and Russell, both young tyros who had come through the lower grades saw their future elsewhere. The first half of the season was a strong, with wins in five of the six one day games before Christmas until the last one day game and the first of the two day games were washed out. They cruised to wins in the first two games against TAS and St Peters, Tom Cooke collecting 5-20 in the first game and John Donnelly 5-27 in the second. Brian Connolly, Alan Gray and Graham Johnson all had half centuries. The only loss before Christmas came against Page when the bowlers did their job but the batting fell apart. Wright, Ex Services and Teachers College were all beaten comfortably with Connolly and Johnson dominating with the bat. Greg Russell, in his first game against the club which had nurtured him, took five wickets and top scored. St Peters forced a draw when the first day was washed out and rain arrived after tea on the second. In the last game before Christmas against Easts, time lost on the first day caused a declaration on the second after Allan Thompson and Johnson added more than a hundred after the side was three down for less than fifty. Peter Bendeich and Brian Joice shared the spoils as a teenage Neil Baillie made 59 and Easts fell seven runs short.

After Christmas, the one dayer against Unicorns was lost after Johnson and Owen Holstein were the best of the batsmen but the bowlers couldn't break through and then Ex Services beat them in a low scoring game. The next month was lost because of wet wickets. Needing outright points, Joice and John Donnelly rolled TAS and Allan Gray scattered their bowlers with a powerful 72 but TAS batted too well in the second innings for the points they needed. The final game was another low scoring loss after Ian McLean took six wickets Russell again top scored against his former club, this time with a half century that guided Ex Services home.

In a season in which their title defence was marred with rain and then undone by late season batting collapses, the results were inevitable but disappointing. Johnson (378) led the run scorers, well supported by  Connolly (316), Gray (279) and Terry Betts (261). Connolly (39.50) had the best batting average. Donnelly (32 at 12.50) was the pick of the bowlers. Bendeich (26) and Joice (21) gave great support and  Tom Cooke was effective in limited performances. Betts held 11 catches and Ray Rose 6 behind the stumps, whilst Donnelly (7) took the most in the field.

A-Reserve Grade

With a core of batting talent - Cliff Schaeffer, Ian Campbell and Bob Barwick - still in place from the previous season and the loss of Wayne Holloway to de la Salle was compensated for by the addition of allrounder David Lynch, the seconds under Ian Campbell's leadership almost took all before it, winning the two day competition and narrowly losing the one day final when their normally reliable batting failed. The other feature of the side was the spin trio of John Russell, Barwick and John Roberts who took 70 wickets between them. Of 14 games, they lost only the one day final.

The six games before the one day final were all won. In the opening game in mid September, Ian Campbell scored what would be his only century for Waratahs, batting at three and adding 216 with Cliff Schaeffer after his side had been 2-0. Greg Russell top scored against Page in his last game and John Roberts was again steady with the ball. Roberts, Schaeffer and Barwick all got scores against Albies and then Peter Rigg, playing for the first time in four seasons took 5-10 as Albies collapsed for 32. DLSC gave Waratahs a fright, after Roberts, Ross and Campbell made steady returns whilst former team mate Wayne Holloway took to the bowlers but brother Gary Holloway pegged them back. Barwick top scored against YCW and another ring in, Terry Mackenzie, took 4-20, including a young Peter Wayte. Barwick and Campbell again led the batting in a 40 run defeat of Bundarra with Lynch taking four wickets.

The one day final was a batting disaster when the top order failed completely against TAS and only some late hitting by Alan Smith and Terry Mackenzie got the side into three figures. TAS won by 4 wickets.

2nd Grade didn't lose another game. Easts were beaten outright going into December, out twice in the 80's with Gary Holloway taking 5-24 with his medium pacers in the second. Uni Vets collapsed to the high looping spin of John Russell (6-20) and after Tony Buxton was chiefly responsible for doubling that score, the vets held on, five down in the second. Uralla (154) would have felt they had enough to win, after Lynch and Russell shared the wickets but a powerful Lynch half century batting at six with support from E Ross gave Waratahs a win by six wickets. Rolling into February, YCW were rolled for only 20, Ross (6-15) and Holloway (4-3) the destroyers and Waratahs got a good lead only thanks to Hunter Schaeffer's masterful batting and poor batting conditions. Holloway took another three wickets as YCW struggled to avoid the outright. Duggans made 47 and 55, with Mackenzie, Rigg and Russell the main wicket takers. Barwick (44) was again the best batsman in a total declared for an outright.

The two day final against Hillgrove was Waratahs last chance for a title. Hillgrove made 117, never able to settle against John Russell's spin (6-33), Rigg's tight thirteen over spell and a short stump to stump spell from Holloway which claimed to.two of the top four. Waratahs were in trouble at 5-65, with best of their batting gone it what appeared to be a repeat of the one day final debacle. Bruce Mathieson then made a brilliant unbeaten half century supported by Ray Marshall and the rest of the tail and Waratahs got far enough ahead to be safe. Batting a second time, Hillgrove again lost all ten as Lynch (5-18) and Russell (4-34) closed them down. Russell took ten wickets for the match.

Cliff Schaeffer (401) led the batting aggregate, narrowly losing the average trophy to Bob Barwick (301 at 33.44). Ian Campbell (323) and David Lynch (285) were the other batting qualifiers. Lynch (38) was the leading wicket taker, followed closely by John Russell (36), who took a lot of his wickets in the second half of the season. Gary Holloway (23 at 5.91) had the best average, a best for all grades and all years. Barwick took 21 wickets with his leg spin. E Ross held 19 catches, with Schaeffer (12), Campbell (11) and Tony Buxton (11) all catching safely.

B Grade

Waratahs fielded a B Grade team in the competition for the first time since 1964-65. Players were sourced mostly from the Armidale High School, where both Bob Barwick and Bruce Mathieson taught mathematics. It was essentially a young side with a few older men to lead ... a pattern that would be repeated over many seasons and would generate a constant supply of quality youth to the A Grade side. We have no match results for the season but President Graham Johnson described the inclusion of the B Grade side as "a successful move."

Mark Rummery (233) was the team's leading scorer and as the only player to exceed 200 runs, also won the batting average. Allan Smith (157), Bill Kempster (138) and B Barrett (135) were next best. G Martin (24) took the most wickets but R Hillard (20 at 14.1) won the bowling average. Mark Rummery (12) held the most catches.