1969-70: A Grade Runners Up; A Reserve Grade Minor & Major Premiers

NOTABLE GAINS: Brian Connolly, Alan Cox, Wayne Holloway, Paul Muldoon
NOTABLE LOSSES: Terry Mackenzie, Bruce Kellaway, John Failes, Peter Rigg, J Walsh, D Little

It was the time of Aquarius, Hendrix was in his prime, Woodstock was in the news as the season opened and man kept going to the moon. In the season that ended the Sixties, Waratahs was a strong two team club with both A Grade and Reserve Grade sides competitive. A Grade was coming off a previous season when they bested Ex Services and University during the season proper and entered the finals as minor premiers ... bowled well against Easts in the semi only to have the batting fail against strong fast bowling. They had the cattle, they just had to perform once they got to market. Gone this season would be the reliable new ball man and handy lower order bat, Terry Mackenzie. His steadying influence would be missed, as would Peter Rigg who had been part of a successful four man attack. Also gone for good were Bruce Kellaway and the consistent John Failes, whose 11 seasons started in the late 1950's. However, against these losses was the first appearance of Brian Connolly, a smooth batsman and clever off spin bowler who blew into town on a cloud of chalk dust. His input would shape Waratahs for the next decade as both a player and as an administrator.

Reserve Grade weren't just strong, they were the dominant side in their competition and had been so for four seasons. Wayne Holloway joined brother Gary in the side - both handy bowlers and useful with the bat. Paul Muldoon returned after several years absence.

A Grade

The season started very confidently with three strong wins in which they shut their opponents out of the game. The first day of the season was a run feast against Churches, as Alan Gray and Graham Johnson both made great hundreds, including a 3rd wicket partnership of 163 and then Johnson, supported by Terry Betts, John Roberts and Tom Cooke posted runs for the declaration at stumps. Cooke and Brian Joice shared the wickets, the start of a season long trend. The second game against Uni Vets only lasted the first day owing to rain but a Cooke 6fa tore through the Vets, who were to collapse like a cheap card table all season. Waratahs got themselves to the front on Alan Gray's back. Rain also ruined the match with St Peters, reducing it to a second day affair. Joice dominated the St Peters batsmen and then Betts and Gray took Waratahs to a comfortable 4 wicket win.

In what would be a warning of what lay ahead, University gave Waratahs a towelling, beating them by an innings and 64 after being 4-12 chasing Waratahs 114. Bill King made a typically classy hundred, supported by Crawford in a 147 run fifth wicket partnership. Waratahs collapsed on the last afternoon before Blair Hunt. In the next game, on the matting down at Uralla, with Walter Taylor making a rare appearance and the Tigers piled on the runs with Taylor making a typically graceful ton and the teenage star Geoff Wood adding his own. Cooke and Joice toiled away otherwise Uralla might have made 500! On the second day, Bill Thompson stamped his own class on the match and along with Terry Betts, added 188 unbroken for the third wicket to secure a draw. As November changed to December, Easts were swatted in revenge for the semi-final loss in 68-69, Waratahs losing only eight wickets in winning by nine of them, Cooke, Joice and Roberts the chief wicket takers and Gray and Johnson looking good with the bat. Christmas was heralded by strong victory over Bundarra although outright points probably should have been gained. Johnson made a lovely half century and yet again, Cooke and Joice took all the wickets that mattered.

The first month after Christmas was a disaster. St Peters, the competition leaders, batted first on a difficult wicket which Cooke and Joice made unplayable and Waratahs were in a grand position, chasing only 89 for the points. The wicket was no better when Waratahs started there innings and Graham Johnson decided to attack or perish and played one of his most brilliant innings to have Waratahs on the brink of victory at 6-78. With the work done and just skerriks left to gather, Bill Hutchinson forced a Johnson's edge to an eager Ian Watts and then mowed down the tail for a two run victory to the Saints. The match that followed was an even lower ebb, maybe even the lowest a Waratahs A Grade side has reached. Played at the same ground as the St Peters match, maybe it was the pitch or maybe it was the memories of the demons the week before but Ian McLean and Rene Mullen made a humble pie sandwich for our batsmen to eat that afternoon. 15 wickets fell for 55 runs, the two Waratahs innings split by Ex Services making close to 200. McLean had 10-25 for the afternoon. The eventual distance between the sides was an innings and 64 runs and had not Bill Thompson been a second day inclusion, it would have been much worse.

As recovery was needed, so it came. This was a quality side and against Churches, for the third game running at TAS, they put some runs on the board, Johnson posting another fifty and Greg Russell finally getting some A grade runs. Debutant Brian Connolly stroked the ball about impressively. In truth, Churches should have won being 4-167 when Joice started a second spell which saw him take three wickets and bring the game back into Waratahs grasp. It was Cooke who removed top scorer Brian Gream to start the collapse. Against TAS, Connolly made a classic century, in only his second dig with Waratahs with the consistent Gray making another good start. Joice and Cooke did the rest. In last game against Uralla, Waratahs had to win to qualify for the semi-finals and for the first time since November, they had the luxury of a declaration after Connolly had again been the main attraction at the wicket and Joice had flogged a tired Uralla bowling line up. Uralla were eventually put down and the points secured but not before Geoff Wood made his second hundred of the season against Waratahs.

Qualifying fourth, Waratahs was drawn to play the minor premiers St Peters, the only team to take it up to Ex Services, long the dominant A grade team. Waratahs made a good start, with Gray and Thompson getting the score to 47 and Johnson helping Thompson to get to 109. From there, the innings fell away until Cooke's cameo batting at ten revived the innings. Cooke (Peter Hutchinson & Keith Smith) and Joice (Bede Ryan) then performed some surgery on the St Peters top order, sending them to stumps a 3-12. St Peters weren't the top team by chance and on the second day, after they had further slumped to 6-49, Peter Schaefer and John Spackman added 39 before both fell in quick succession. Then David Croft and Luke Foster added 38 for the ninth wicket. Bill Hutchinson joined Foster in a partnership of edges, pushes and ill advised quick singles before, Foster was last man out giving Waratahs a twenty run victory. Across town, Ex Services thrashed University by 134 runs.

The Final against Ex Services went the way of all these finals matches for Waratahs in the past four seasons. Rene Mullen and Ian McLean were far too good them. With four out by 47 (Gray & Johnson bowled by Mullen, Connolly bowled by McLean and Thompson stumped by Browning off McLean!!!), the best the rest could do was double that start. Only Thompson, Johnson and Allan Smith made double figures and 92 was never enough. McLean took five wickets and only a miracle could bring the game back Waratahs way. Blair, Miller and McLean had the taken Ex Services to the lead with only two down and by stumps, Ex Services led by 65 and had seven wickets to play with. On the second day, Ray Rose, Rene Mullen and Mick Hawkins all went quickly to Cooke and O'Halloran, sparking some interest from Waratahs that there might be some way back into the Final. Ex Services skipper Errol Browning extinguished that spark in partnerships of 34 with McLean, 36 with Mal Campbell and then final indignity, 98 with Tony Ryan. Browning remained not out, tantalisingly close to a hundred when the baby faced No 11 Peter Wayte was caught by John Roberts. Waratahs batted a second time to play out time but neither Mullen or McLean bowled, their damage already on report.

Graham Johnson (510 runs) was the leading run scorer for the season but newbie Brian Connolly (221 at 44.20) had the best batting average. Alan Gray (400) reached the four hundred mark for the fifth time in his 19 year career with Waratahs. Bill Thompson (341) and Terry Betts (237) also past two hundred. Tom Cooke (56 wickets 12.20) led the bowling aggregate and average and Brian Joice (47) wasn't far behind. They hunted as a pack and dominated the Waratahs attack so much that they captured 79% of the wickets taken and the next highest wickets taker was John Roberts with 8. Terry Betts took 15 dismissals behind the wicket (10 cat, 5 st). Johnson, Joice and Roberts held 7 catches.

A Reserve Grade

Unbeaten minor and major premiers the previous season, this side was arguably the strongest team Waratahs has fielded in Reserves. Both batting (Greg Russell, Keith McIntyre & Brendan McGee) and bowling (John Russell, Col Marshall and Gary Holloway) had show stoppers among them but also there was depth and experience in players like Bob Brennan. It was little wonder they were to repeat the dose to teams in Reserve grade again this season.

The winning streak was extended to fourteen matches without a loss in the opening game against University IV. Greg Russell opened his season with fine hundred, with Brennan and Frith in support and then after Tony Failes had taken the first two wickets early, Col Marshall bowled University out, bagging his fourth seven or more wicket haul for Waratahs and this time included the hatrick . Holloway and John Russell did the damage against Dumaresq and Keith McIntyre looked in charge at stumps, only to lose the second day to rain. For some reason Waratahs played University IV again but the result was the same. Greg Russell made runs but Gary Holloway, McGee and McIntyre all made starts. The Holloway brothers and Marshall cleaned them out. DLSC were beaten comfortably as Ray Reeves made a half century returning and McGee and Smith forties. Frith took a bag of five, earning himself a promotion to A Grade. Reeves and Gary Holloway made short work of the TAS batsmen after the first day had been washed out. Russell made a fifty as Waratahs breezed to victory. St Peters were beaten by 70 runs (Russell fifties in both in inngs, McGee and the veteran Laurie Blake good runs) and then Hillgrove by 90 on the first innings, with Waratahs pressing for the outright. McIntyre was back in form and Frith, dropped from A Grade made a strong sixty. New bowler Muller threatened in both Hillgrove innings.

Having turned at Christmas in first place, an outright win by an innings and 181 runs in an all day game against the Teachers College made it clear, Waratahs would defend their premiership strongly. Greg Russell scored a big, powerful, scintilating hundred, the biggest of five for Waratahs, with Paul Muldoon and Ray Reeves in support as Waratahs topped three hundred. Teachers batted twice during the afternoon sessions, John Russell spinning them out in the first innings and College employee Alan Cox taking five in the second. Greg Russell, with 583 runs at an embarassingly high average was invited to A Grade.

McIntyre and Brennan got most of the runs in Waratahs lowest total in three years but Muller and Reeves defended it, Muller taking the last St Peters wicket to tie the game. University Vets had runs on the board, batting on the second day, despite Holloway's work with the ball after rain again intervened ruining any chance of play on the first day. Rain closed in again with McGee well placed after Brennan opened strongly. John Russell, Holloway and Marshall were much too good for Dumaresq, rolling them cheaply twice and then first Smith and then McIntyre batted Waratahs to the outright points. With the semis next game, Waratahs used the match against Teachers College for batting practice after John Russell again took six wickets against the students. McGee smashed a hundred after McIntyre and Brennan looked comfortable and McCann, Muldoon and Frith all retired after having a good stint in the middle.

After being beaten outright and then having three hundred put on them in the last game before the semis, the Teachers can't have been too confident. As it was, they were out for the same score as their last round match and again John Russell was the leading wicket taker but Holloway and Marshall played their part. Waratahs reply started confidently with openers McIntyre and McGee both still there at stumps and only 44 required to get to the final. On the second day, McIntyre was out quickly but the win was achieved with only two wickets down. McGee was terribly unlucky not to get successive hundreds after a responsible innings. ATC batted a second time and did their best to lose outright.

With such a powerful victory, Waratahs were odds on to beat Hillgrove in the final. It was as though there was unfinished business between them after the Final of the previous season was drawn and both were declared premiers. Waratahs, who had played for most of the second half of the season without their ace, Greg Russell, were pleased to welcome him back for the Final. His recent form since promotion, mostly on wet wickets against A Grade's best, had fallen away over the previous six weeks. Waratahs batted first and spent the afternoon making enough runs to win. Had it been a round game, their usual agression may have got them to three hundred or beyond, but this was about winning a competition. The mainstay all afternoon, as Hillgrove tried nine bowlers, was Keith McIntyre. His skilful and but unlucky 98 was probably the innings of his career. Greg Russell came right back to form with a classy half century and John Russell chose this day to bat for his team with determination. On day two, Hillgrove never got going after P Sewell was runout for a duck and Frith bowled their gun Edgar soon after. John Russell spun the middle order into confusion, finishing with five wickets and like his team mates, another premiership.

The win in the Final gave Waratahs their 27th consecutive match without defeat and their second successive premiership. It was a fabulous effort from a side which certainly had stars but more importantly, played as a solid unit. Greg Russell (661 runs) was clearly the best of the batsmen but Keith McIntyre (447) and Brendan McGee (445) also had great seasons with the bat, whilst Bob Brennan, R Frith and Ray Reeves all contributed. John Russell (39) was the leading wicket taker, with 28 wickets of those wickets in the second half of the season. Col Marshall (26) and Gary Holloway (24) and Frith, Reeves and Muller provided Waratahs with a varied attack that always had opposition teams under pressure.