1960-61 "The Swinging Sixties": A-Res Grade & B Grade semi-finalists

NOTABLE GAINS: A Chisholm, D Lang, Ray Reeves
NOTABLE LOSSES: Don Paul, Arty See

As the 1960's began, Waratahs had placed itself in a strong position in it's first ten years of operation. Two premierships - one in A Grade and the other in the cricket nursery of B Grade - and a number of appearances in semi finals, was one indicator of good recruiting and excellent growth. Another was the reasonably rapid transition from twelve available players to take the field in A-Reserves on that first Saturday and now, ten years later, three competitive teams in the three grades being played in the New England Cricket Association competitions. The decade ahead was largely about the fruitless search for another A Grade premiership, with all its aspirations, fine cricket, close calls and continuing falls at the last hurdle. For no matter how well Waratahs recruited - and the sixties saw some of its finest players don the blue cap - and how many premierships were obtained in the lower grades, there would be none in A Grade.


Regardless of such unfortunate cricket husbandry, the spirit grew and grew and the players keep coming from other clubs and from out of town to join Waratahs. Mixed up among this club building, legends were established and heroes made.

In a season when the minor grades did well enough to make semi-finals, life was much tougher for the top side.

A Grade
Even though ten players played in the bulk of the twelve games for the season, there were still twenty eight used in A Grade. In mid January, seven were from Reserves. Losing six of those twelve games and one of those outright, this was never going to be a semi-final season. Again Alan Gray had most of the run scoring responsibility with Eric Smith as his backup, although the newcomer D Lang some very fine knocks in limited appearances. Too many of the others made long, unrequited promises between innings that teased an a side impatient for consistency. In fact, of the rest, Terry Mackenzie with his robust smiting in the tail, was probably our most reliable. Too much fell on Mackenzie and Smith with the ball, despite their sterling work, they couldn't bowl from one end all the time. John Roberts made some ground toward being an automatic choice each week but proved too expensive. Until Brian Roberts late season arrival, there were few choices. It was a season that signalled signs that a strong side could be built, especially with the young reserves being grown in Reserves.

University supplied a deadly first up track, the sort which left Smith's spin is irresistible on. Mackenzie got a bag in the second innings and Waratahs were off to good start. Churches rolled them cheaply and then smashed their way to plenty and outright points were saved with a batting display so different from the first innings. Waratahs had the whip hand against Easts at the Sportsground thanks to fine half centuries by John Roberts and P Morse, only to loose the second day to nature. Roberts and Morse repeated the dose against TAS and Mackenzie 5-45 finished the job. Doug Johnstone (50), Smith and Gray all made good runs in a total that should have been enough but DLSC's Bro. Brendan exposed the thinness of the bowling lineup after Mackenzie had taken another bag of early wickets. December held no presents with a heavy outright loss to Public Service and a near one to Ex Services, when Errol Browning took 9-14.

In the New Year, three consecutive losses became five. Churches, with a future Waratahs player Syd Philp making 85 in the first innings and a past player, Ross Ridley breezing quickly to 70 not out, despite a good match from Smith (80 and 5-54) and J Boundy, an all rounder promoted to A Grade for just one game who scored well in both innings (28 and 40x). By mid January, seven Reserve graders were playing and two drop ins. so it was hardly a surprise that Easts won in a canter. Waratahs last win of the year was against Uralla at the Sportsground, when they posted a big total for which Alan Gray's near century was the corner post. G Whitton, Lang and Morse all added good support and Brian Roberts marked his return with four first innings wickets. Against DLSC, rain on the second day probably saved them, five down and a hundred behind after Bro Brendan again got runs and Mackenzie bagged another five wicket haul. The last game was a run blitz against Ex Services but after Keith Smith (160) and Ron Madden (57) were finished, Waratahs did well to get within eighty as Lang made a very stylist 85, Terry Mackenzie a belligerent 35 and a host of others made decent starts. Errol Browning bagged six wickets.

Alan Gray (358 runs) was again the leading run scorer but new man D Lang had a significantly better batting average (260 runs at 32.50). Eric Smith (266) was the only other player above the two hundred mark, although P Morse, Doug Johnstone and John Roberts were all close. Eric Smith (34 wickets at 17.15) took the bowling honours, just shading Terry Mackenzie (33 at 17.27) and apart from John Roberts (12) no one else made double figures.

A-Reserve Grade
This side had a remarkable season, losing twice in the first four games and then only once more in the remaining nine, including the semi-final. Indeed, considering they won six of their games outright, it hard to imagine how they didn't win the competition. The secret behind their success was a tight knit group of cricketers, most of them powerful all rounders, who had graduated from winning a B Grade Premiership the year before. The missing element in not going the next step was the only patchy availability of J Walsh.

The season started against University in a game in which the batsmen only got going in the second innings, by which time first innings points had been lost. Easts were dispatched by seven wickets, J Boundy smashing 92 in a middle order partnership with Ray Rose who made 79. A Boundy took four wickets in each innings and then virtually didn't bowl again all season. St Peters were thrashed by an innings, with Bob Brennan and G Howard scoring half the runs and Brennan's ten wickets for the match including 6-34 in the first innings. Ex Services then sat the boys on their ear with an innings defeat, despite improve second innings batting and from there, it was all wins to Christmas, as if the batting didn't fire the bowling did. Teachers College made a fair fist of their first innings only to have Waratahs go past 300, with six batsmen led by L Blake and Brennan's fifties and good runs from everyone. Tony Morriss and J Boundy then routed the teachers. Hillgrove lost outright by 3 runs in a spine tingler, where their second inning 101 was the highest score of the game. Tony Morriss (8-52) and Graeme Hooper's three fine catches in slip were the difference. Right on Christmas, Waratahs had to be content with first innings points when they were only 30 runs short with five wickets in hand.

The first game in January was a re match with Ex services who again beat them, Ray Reeves looking comfortable in both innings. Far East were beaten outright with Ray Rose scoring an unbeaten fifty and Blake and Reeves and the occasional Walsh batting well. Boundy's first inning bowling was topped as Walsh took eleven for the match, including 7-13 in the Far Easts second innings. Waratahs had the best of a washout against Hillgrove and then absolutely flogged St Peters outright for a second time, with everyone brushing up for the semi-final.

The semi-final against Hillgrove was one sided. Having beaten them outright and being in the superior position in a drawn washout, Waratahs batted first and made a big total where even though Blake and Brennan dominated, as usual, everyone chipped in. Hillgrove began their reply behind the clock and Brennan and Boundy soon had them in trouble. Slowly, with lesser players digging in around Dye, Hillgrove batted for stumps in the knowledge that a draw would see them progress. Waratahs used eight bowlers, all of them quality but they couldn't break through and although Hillgrove were ninety runs behind the target, more importantly Waratahs were two wickets short of theirs.

L Blake (410 runs at 29.29) was the leading batsman but he was followed by a bevy of others: Ray Rose (349), J Boundy (336), Bob Brennan (295), Ray Reeves (264) and A Chisholm (243). Tony Morriss (35) maintained his mantle as the leading wicket taker, just edging ahead of Boundy (34). Ray Reeves (27 wickets at 10.52) had the best average and Bob Brennan (27) lead the attack manfully. Had Walsh played only a few more games and improved his 15 wickets at 4.53, he would have been hard to beat.

B Grade
In a season of one day matches, everybody had their chances but only a few dominated like Keith McIntyre did with the bat and J McIntyre and Col Marshall did with the ball. This was a very settled side with the basic XI of Keith McIntyre, Stanley, J McIntyre, Bill Nixon, R McIntyre, McClenaghan, Russell, Dawson Col Marshall, Chapman and Barrett playing the vast majority of the games. It also led to a settled bowling attack which although dominated by J McIntyre and Col Marshall had many other useful contributions from McClenaghan, the two Russells and not the least from wicket keeper Keith McIntyre!

This giant 24 match regular season impressively with four wins, including a forfeit. Keith McIntyre good start included a half century in Waratahs only decent total in those games. Low totals didn't matter if your bowlers were on top and they were, none more so than J McIntyre (7-17) who routed arch rivals Public Service. The Teachers College inflicted the first loss, when for once the opening bowlers didn't carve a path. New England Rovers were dispatched when for the second game in a row, keeper Keith McIntyre took handy wickets and Bruce McClenaghan opened the batting effectively. There followed a month of yo-yo cricket: down to DLSC (Bill Nixon shone with the bat); up (Keith Mc and Chapman seventies, Marshall fivefa; down to TAS; up against Churches (Keith Mc taking a career best 6-20). Waratahs then ran up to Christmas with five wins straight that featured another comfortable beating of Public Service in which J Mcintyre took a hattrick, six more wickets for J McIntyre and a rare fifty for Stanley against Dumaresq and six wickets for Col Marshall against Rovers. By Christmas, they led the competition and were on target for back to back premierships.

Until the middle of February, that opinion didn't change with another five wins from six games. There were no big scores but the bowling was deadly. Three times Col Marshall and J McIntyre opened and bowled sides out unchanged. Hillgrove (twice), Public Service (for a third time in the season), Dumaresq and Rovers all succumbed to Waratahs bowling attack. Churches did too but not before the secured a narrow victory on a day in which Col Marshall was absent. Then it all came to a stuttering halt when Public Service finally gained a win. P Dixson (7-24) did the hot knife through butter trick and 59 was finally not enough to defend. In the void which followed this loss, TAS (56) and Dumaresq (84) repeated the dose and the reigning premiers had lost three on the trot. The ship was righted by an R McIntyre half century in the last game, with support from K Dawson and Marshall and wickets shared between Marshall and the two Russell boys.

Waratahs lined up in the major semi against Public Service, having one four of the last five encounters but perhaps crucially, not the last. Waratahs bating first, batted like it had all year with too much dependence on too few. Apart from J McIntyre, who opened, no one made double figures as Dixson again did the damage and they never had enough to win. Public Service passed them with only two down, after Marshall made an early breakthough. Collins (48x) batting at three and Cameron (28) who opened, had a long partnership which blunted the Waratahs bowlers to within ten of victory. The clutter that eventually came was all too late. This was definitely one that got away.

Keith McIntyre (514 runs at 21.42) was the leading batsman and he also took 16 catches. R McIntyre (339) and J McIntyre (313) made it a McIntyre trifecta. Bruce McClenaghan (258) shows signs of things to come. There was great improvements in Bill Nixon's batting (195 runs) and he also held 11 catches. Col Marshall (199) and K Dawson (185) also had their moments. J McIntyre (72 wickets at 7.26) was the star with the ball but not that far behind was Col Marshall (52 wickets). McClenaghan, John Russell, R Russell and Keith McIntyre all bowled well in supportive roles.