1959-60: B Grade Premiers; A Grade semi-finalists

NOTABLE GAINS: Bob Brennan, Terry Mackenzie, Keith McIntyre, Brian Roberts, John Roberts, Greg Russell, Allan Smith
NOTABLE LOSSES: John Carr, John Richardson, Vic Snell

The final year in this first period of growing the Waratahs club, apart from some outstanding performances on the field with B Grade becoming Premiers for the first time and in only their fourth year of competition, it was the further expansion of the Club in adding a team to the new A-Reserve Grade comp that really stood out. The bulk of the previous B Grade, moved into A-Reserve and a whole new crop of new players joined the club as the "new" B Grade. All the more remarkable that it was this team which picked up Waratahs second Premiership. In all, the Club debuted 24 players in this season of growth. In A Grade, Terry McKenzie joined from Wests for the first of many prolific wicket taking seasons and Brian Roberts joined from University in December: both good recruiting considering the load on Eric Smith in the previous season. In the lower grades, John Roberts and Keith McIntyre began their careers with the club - two players who became legends. JR was captaining sides to Premierships twenty years later. Bob Brennan and Greg Russell, heavy contributors in the lower grades in the following ten years, also got their start, although Russell in a very minor contribution.

A Grade

To say the side started slowly would be an understatement. By the time December came, a win against University was the only positive result from six games. The first day of the season was lost to rain and as was usual for the time, the second day produced a draw against Churches, mostly owing to the lack of provision for divided time or overs in place then. The first team batted so long they could lose and the second side batted out time. Easts won the second game comfortably, Eric Smith and Terry Mackenzie shaing the wickets and stand in keeper G Whitton top scoring. Ex Services scored heavily in the third game, with Wally Miller making merry but thanks to regular keeper P Morse's solid batting in both innings the damage was restricted to first innings points. Ex Services had attracted all the star players from other clubs and were a dominant force. The games in November were no better. In a wet pitch slog out against Teachers College, Terry Mackenzie bagged ten wickets across two small ATC totals and Don Paul was up to his wicket tricks in the first innings. Unfortunately, Waratahs batsmen faired even worse and were lucky to avoid an outright. A draw against Public Service was the best result in a month of failure.

In between the start and November, University were the sole success. Don Paul and Eric Smith spun them out with great help from keeper Morse who took two catches and three stumpings. Waratahs replied with 215, with a finally in form Alan Gray (61) top scoring and some increasingly rare runs from Smith (36), who form had been poor. It was to be his highest score of the season.

The first game of December marked a change with a close but well fought win against Churches. Into the team from the A-Res team came Nigel Richardson and John Roberts and new recruit Brian Roberts debuted. The first innings were played on a dry deck and Waratahs reasonable total was built on a class half century from Doug Johnstone. Churches were rolled before stumps, with Mackenzie and new boy Roberts sharing the spoils after former Waratahs wicket keeper batsman Ross Ridley almost stole the show. The second day was a game of wet wicket russian roulette and Roger Roan put his team back in the hunt but their collapse at the hands of Mackenzie and Richardson ensured their would be no dramas.

From here, Waratahs remained unbeaten in the rest of the regular season games which included the unsual programming step by the NECA of scheduling matches on Boxing Day 1959. Not surprisingly, sides were weakened my this strange decision. Waratahs played Ex Services in this game and scored a handsome total under the circumstances, thanks in the main to Hugh Ferris (67) and Brian Roberts (47). Smith then restricted Ex Services to a draw. After Christmas, Uralla were beaten outright after Waratahs were behind on the first innings. Eric Smith took 12 wickets, including 8-34 in the Uralla first innings. Gray and Smith held the side together in the 4th innings run chase. On the newly laid Newling Oval turf wicket, Easts were given an innings flogging as Mackenzie took ten wickets in the match and career best 7-27 in the second. Johnstone made another classy fifty, supported by Brian Roberts but it was the batting of Cranbrook student Peter Mesley - home in Armidale on holidays - which made Easts' task so much harder on the second day. After the defeat of Easts, Waratahs were now second on the table.

The next match against Public Service was affected by rain and the Armidale Show and was a meek draw. A third outright in four games was taken against Churches, finishing the job that was started in early December. Waratahs first innings was meager but Churches couldn't handle the combination of Smith's left arm spin and Mackenzies pace. The Waratahs second innings was notable for the superb batting of Walsh, who made half the total in attrocious conditions. Facing a boggy and with Smith and Paul from either end, outright points were inevitable. The last round was a tense draw against Uralla, when Waratahs batted out time in a rescheduled all day game on the last Sunday before the semi-finals.

The semi-final, the first for A Grade for several years, was played against Uralla. It was a war of attrition from the start. Uralla played it like a Test match and took all day to make 9-208. Despite Walter Taylor's slow 40, Waratahs were in good shape removing Frank Taylor, young tyro Bede Ryan and Robert Croft cheaply through a combination of Smith's guile and Roberts power, but Bruce Kellaway was the thorn in their side. Brian Roberts took the last wicket on day two for his first five wicket haul. waratahs began well with Alan Gray and Hugh Ferris looking in very good shape and the opened with a sixty run stand before a mix up saw Gray run out. Kellaway, still bowling after opening the attack, quickly removed Ferris, Morse, Johnstone and Smith and at five down for less than 100, it was all trouble. Brian Roberts and Tony Lemon then rallied adding 52 and the match was swaying back to Waratahs. Patterson, back into the attack to join the tireless Kellaway, removed Roberts. Don Paul, batting at eight, hit four boundaries looking to get on top of Kellaway but died by the same sword. At 5:15, with Lemon looking assured in defence and the target too far away, the decision was made to play for a draw and in doing so, advancing Waratahs to the final. Twenty minutes later, Lemon was deceived when Kellaway delivered a slower ball from behind the bowling crease, causing him to be through his shot too early and to be bowled by the deception. Next man in Gordon Lee suffered what the Armidale Express described as "a mental lapse" as he swung across the line of a Walter Taylor full toss and lost his middle stump for a duck. For the next twenty minutes, John Failes and not out specialist Terry McKenzie took everything Kellaway and Taylor could throw at them. With two minutes left and a place in the final beckoning, Failes drove at Kellaway with too much enthusiasm, lifting the ball slightly for Jim Cooper to snare the catch. Special mention must be made of Bruce Kellaway who bowled 26.6 eight ball overs unchanged ... the equivalent of 35 overs in modern six ball parlance. Thanks also to the Armidale Express for description of play which help in the recreation of this event.

The last, anti-climatic match, was against Easts, playing off for third and fourth. Waratahs won by 15 after Brian Roberts took another five wickets and Alan Gray was aided by Brian Roberts, Ferris and Morse in scoring enough runs for the win.

Alan Gray (315 runs at 15.75) was again the leading run scorer, with Doug Johnstone (267) and Hugh Ferris (235) all having moments but none would be happy with their averages. Brian Roberts was probably the most consistent with the bat once he started in December. Eric Smith (54 wickets) was the leading wicket taker again and Terry Mackenzie (49 at 10.84) topped the bowling averages. Brian Roberts (25 wickets) made a significant contribution. Wicket keeper P Morse had 22 dissmissals, including ten stumpings.

A-Reserve Grade

It was a long hard struggle for this new grade in Waratahs colours, although it's perhaps hard to know why they struggled through this first season. By Christmas, they were without a win and only a desperate draw when rain saved them from complete failure and the losses included three outrights. It was essentially the same team which had played well enough to friightened the eventual Premiers in a semi-final the previous season of what then still the second level of competition and it was a settled side. The other oddity was their regular habit of scoring far better in second innings than first.

After first day rain, the first match was lost to Hillgrove in a one day affair in which G Whitton and D Gratton (in his only game) scored most of the first innings runs and debutant John Roberts most of the second. Nigel Richardson stood out with the ball. University won the next match outright by 4 wickets after a first innings collapse where Richardson was the only player to make double figures. Crotty, Whitton and Roberts made a game of it, but lack of first innings runs was the chief downfall. It was a trend which continued until Christmas: 83 v TAS, 67 v DLSC and the longest standing record in this grade, 32, made on Boxing Day with only eight men against Dumaresq. In the second innings, Arty See smashed 45 unbeaten runs in a total of 87 and in the new year, improved team batting was built on his form.

In early January, Waratahs lost again but with a much improved performance in a 14 run defeat against Public Service. Arty See, fresh from a powerful first innings 73, cracked the first A-Reserve century in the second. The Boundy boys took turns supporting him in either innings and Nigel Richardson (5-38) led a bowling line up which so nearly posted it's first win. Finally, on 23rd January, the players experienced that winning feeling and when they did, it was in great style with an outright victory over the imposing Ex Services team. Tony Morriss, Richardson and See shared the first innings wickets and after See had raised another half century supported by the consistent Ted Crotty, A Boundy bought Ex Services to their knees with a stunning eight wicket bowling performance. The euphoria was short lived, with Easts winning by a wicket in the next game and DLSC by an innings and 89 runs in the next. Laurie McCann (5-13) threatened bowl Waratahs out short of the 32 made against Dumaresq and in the second innings Whitton's unbeaten 39 was the main reason Waratahs got near three figures. John Roberts (3-42) was tidy in the face of an onslaught from Brother Leander. The wooden spoon was avoided by wins in the last games. Against Hillgrove, Ted Crotty showed why he was the season's most consistent batsman and Art See (9) and Tony Morriss (7) twice tore Hillgrove apart. Waratahs third win of the season - all of them outright - came in the last match against Dumaresq, in which Richardson (71 & 21; 2-34 & 4-33) was comfortably the star and Tony Morriss (5-53) finally picked up a five wicket haul in what had been, for him, a modest season.

Arty See (361 runs at 60.17) was the leading run scorer and at the best average but played in only half the games. In a year of many players (28 played in all) and low batting averages, Ted Crotty (276) consistently made starts but failed to go on and Nigel Richardson (262) posted some good scores but his twenty one innings included five ducks. A Boundy (227) averaged better than Crotty or Richardson, but didn't play the last four games of the season after twelve wickets in two matches. Most of the wickets were taken by the openers, Tony Morriss (40 wickets at 13.95) and Nigel Richardson (27). Arty See and the two Boundy boys each had their moments of glory with the ball. Ted Crotty starred in the field with 13 catches.

B Grade

After playing two day cricket in the 58-59 season, the addition of the A-Reserve Grade turned B Grade into a junior comp again and the powers-that-be decided it would be one day cricket again. Nine of the season's twenty four debutants played their first game in B Grade and some - Greg Russell, Bob Brennan, Keith McIntyre and Alan Smith - would go on to become Waratahs legends. Brennan would be the only one to show it from the start. Regardless, by April, Waratahs second Premiership would be in the trophy cupboard.

This Premiership season didn't start well, with the first three games lost against Public Service, St Peters and by a wide margain against DLSC. The first win came against ATC and was followed by three more against the same sides who had beaten then in the first three! Agaianst ATC, Bruce McClenaghan and Keith McIntyre posted a reasonable total and then Bob Brennan and J McIntyre routed the top order whilst allrounder L Blake cleaned up the tail. Public Service were beaten by 3 runs in an innings where Waratahs made four run outs. In was another nail-biting 3 run win against St Peters, both sides swapped low scores, but it was the bowling of Brennan and J McIntyre which won the day. The flogging against DLSC was reversed thanks to a big stand (not recorded) betweeen L Blake and McClenaghan. Blake's 108 was only the second B Grade century in their 4th season. John Russell was the best of the bowlers. ACT, who had started the winning sequence, ended it in a match where none of the batsmen got going. The three games played in December - including Boxing Day - were all wins and two of them featured outstanding bowling performances. Public Service were beaten, Waratahs losing only five wickets chasing 119 and there followed batting collapses against St Peters (70) and Churches (98 in which sundreis top scored) that were made into wins by C Marshall's 8-12 against St Peters and Bob Brennan's 7-22 against Churches.

In the New Year, Public Service edged out Waratahs in another low scoring event in which John Russell and J McIntyre took the most wickets but then St Peters were beaten comfortably thanks again to Marshall and supported by the consistent J McIntyre. With topsy meeting turvey mid week, the next two games were lost to Churches and then Public Service through poor batting, St Peters were beaten by 4 wickets with Marshall (6-29) again dominating them and then after a break for the Armidale Show, St Peters turned the tables and won on 29th February, as C Wellard finally found a way to blunt Marshall's new ball onslaught. It would be the last game Waratahs would lose for the season.

Both the four wins that took this side to its fourth successive semi-final and the two matches of the final series were a success because of the continued form with the ball of Marshall and Brennan and the dramatic change in batting form of J McIntyre. Others contributed but the input of team mates was built on the scafholding provided by these three. Including the loss to St Peters on 20th February, McIntyre had a season tally of 93 runs at 8.45 but in the six matches that followed, he added 264 at 66.00.

Churches were brushed aside with McIntyre, McClenaghan and S Stanley making a large share of a modest total and Marshall and McIntyre bowling unchanged as Churches collapsed. Against TAS it was Marshall and Brennan doing the demolishion work and McIntyre cracking an unbeaten half century with Brennan in support and W Nixon getting some good runs at the end. McIntyre got another fifty against St Peters, again with Brennan in support before turning round and collecting five wickets himself. McIntyre & Brennan piled on the runs again and Churches, short of players, were routed by Marshall. The recovery was complete.

In the semi final, Brennan ran through St Peters and then Waratahs had the rest of the day out, with Blake returning to his century form, McClenaghan scoring quickly and Keith McIntyre playing one of his best hands of the season.

The final, played nearly nearly seven years to the day after the A Grade win over Easts in 52-53, was a hard affair. Public Service batted first and despite no one being happy against Marshall they kept at it. Waratahs bowling attack which also included Brennan, Blake and J McIntyre raised relentless pressure against the Public Service boys and had it not been for a ninth wicket partnership between number four Metherill (26x) and tailender Neely (36) their innings of 136 would have finished in the eighties. Waratahs reply made a poor start when Metherill picked up R McIntyre early. Keith McIntyre and J McInytre took the score past 30 until Baker, from the other end, sent one crashing into Keith's stumps. Brennan joined the fight with McIntyre and the pair were batting confidently against Baker and Wetherill, who had bowled from the start. With the fifty up Brennan sent Baker to Dixon who held a good catch and when Baker got through Blake's defences soon after and Metherill got W Nixon, McIntyre still had a big task ahead at 5-67. McClenaghan joined McIntyre and the pair cautiously built a partnership which closed the gap and got Waratahs within range of a Premiership. Perhaps it was apearing all too easy or to give credit to the bowlers, maybe they just stayed on the job for with thirty needed, for at 105, McClenaghan was Baker 4th victim. It all hung on McIntyre, or so it seemed for soon after, he was out. Of the remaining tail, only one was averaging over five with the bat and they had 16 ducks between them that season and they had 30 odd to find. Never the less, in three small, nervous partnerships, the winning runs were found by Marshall, John Russell, M Nixon and R Russell and that final partnership between the Russell lads, remainined, importantly, unbeaten.

The gun batsman was J McIntyre (357 runs at 23.80) but he was not the leading scorer. Than honour went to the century maker, L Blake (363 runs). Bob Brennan (271) and Bruce McClenaghan (265) did their share of the run scoring work. Whilst C Marshall (61 wickets at 7.79) was the star bowler, the strength of this bowling line up is underlined by four other players taking more than twenty wickets : Bob Brennan (44), L Blake (34), J McIntyre (28) and the emerging spin of John Russell (23).