CricConnect Volunteer Recognition Series. Peter Langston - Waratahs Cricket Club Armidale

Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | March 14, 2026

Peter Langston describes himself as a cricket tragic, but to those who have been part of the Waratahs Cricket Club in Armidale, he is far more than that. Over decades Peter has become one of the most significant figures in the club’s history, dedicating countless hours to both the playing and preservation of the game.

Peter joined Waratahs Cricket Club in the 1978/79 season as player number 357 and played his final match for the club in 1991/92, with a couple of seasons away when he was living elsewhere. On the field he was an upper to middle order batsman and an occasional bowler, known for his medium pace in-swingers.

Across his playing career, which was largely spent in the club’s upper grades, Peter scored 2,998 runs at an average of 27.01, with a highest score of 164 and three centuries to his name. With the ball he collected 84 wickets at 22.56, with best figures of 4 for 26, and he took 60 catches in the field. His contribution with the bat still places him 13th on the club’s all-time run scorers list and he remains one of only four players to have been involved in ten or more century partnerships.

Yet Peter’s influence on Waratahs Cricket Club extends well beyond the runs and wickets he produced on the field.

Peter Langston - the junior days

Over the years he served the club in numerous roles including Club President for three consecutive seasons from 1984/85 to 1986/87, as well as stints as Secretary, Publicity Officer, Selector and Delegate to the Armidale District Cricket Association. His commitment to the club was recognised early when he became the inaugural recipient of the Tom Muldoon Trophy for Clubman of the Year in 1985.

Peter also played a role in shaping cricket in the Armidale district more broadly. He represented the club on the ADCA’s “Warren Commission”, which helped restructure the local competition in the early 1980s. Beyond administration he was a regular sports writer for the Armidale Express newspaper and hosted and produced a sports program on Armidale community radio, helping promote both cricket and sport throughout the region.

Perhaps Peter’s most extraordinary contribution came years after he finished playing.

Driven by a determination to preserve the history of Waratahs Cricket Club, Peter undertook the massive task of collecting and collating the club’s records from its first season in 1950/51 through to its final season in 2005/06. Drawing on old scorebooks, newspaper archives and yearbooks, he spent years compiling detailed records of matches, player statistics, individual and club records and score sheets.

The result is one of the most comprehensive historical records of any cricket club in Australia.

Peter has made these records available online through the Waratahs Cricket Club website and social media pages, where the popular “On This Day” feature regularly highlights notable performances and moments from the club’s past.

It was this extraordinary work that helped reconnect former players and supporters and ultimately led to the reformation of the club in October 2023 as The Tahs of Armidale. The organisation was granted non-player membership with the Armidale District Cricket Association in 2024, with Peter serving as the founding Club Secretary and Public Officer, roles he continues to hold.

The Waratahs Cricket Club Cap

The Tahs were created with two key objectives: strengthening the connection and wellbeing of members associated with the former Waratahs Cricket Club, and supporting the development of junior cricket in the region through the Waratahs Ian Campbell Scholarship Fund for local under-16 players.

In recognition of his enormous contribution to the club, its history and the wider cricket community, Peter was awarded the ninth Life Membership of the club at the Tahs AGM in December 2024. The motion passed unanimously.

Within twenty-four hours of members being contacted to support the proposal, around sixty per cent had already responded, all with an emphatic yes.

Those who know Peter say the recognition is richly deserved. Without his dedication to preserving the club’s history and reconnecting former players, the Waratahs story may well have faded away.

Peter’s own cricket journey began simply.

Backyard games of French cricket with his uncles at Christmas sparked his interest in the game, although he did not begin playing competitively until the age of fourteen. His first club was Miranda Magpies in the Sutherland Shire in Sydney.

One of his most memorable games came in the Boggabri competition final in 1983. On a wet wicket his side scraped together a total in the sixties before bowling the opposition out for less than thirty.

The best teammate he played alongside was Andrew Davis, while his favourite player to watch was the great Doug Walters.

Doug Walters

When asked about the biggest lesson cricket has taught him, Peter’s answer is simple.

Patience.

And when asked what Waratahs Cricket Club means to him, the response is even simpler.

Family.

Looking back across decades in the game, Peter says the funniest moments are too many to pick just one. Cricket, he believes, has always been as much about laughter and friendships as it has been about results.

The person who helped Peter most in cricket was Tony Bennett, someone he still acknowledges as an important influence on his journey in the game.

Tony Bennett and Peter Langston

For young players coming through the game today, Peter offers a piece of advice built on years of experience.

Keep turning up. Keep listening. Watch the good players closely for technique. Watch the happy players for attitude. Be loyal. Play for the team, not yourself.

And above all, remember what he calls Langston’s Hierarchy:

The Game.

The Club.

The Team.

The Player.

Volunteer Recognition

Community cricket is built by people who give their time, energy and care to their clubs.

The CricConnect Volunteer Recognition Series shines a light on the individuals who help make the game what it is.

If you know someone at your club whose contribution deserves recognition, we’d love to hear their story.

Nominate a volunteer at CricConnect.com

Because cricket is built by many, and every contribution matters.

Join the Captains Circle - Scenario 2 - When Silence Becomes a Decision