THE SEMIS - 1st Grade Hillgrove 1987
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | March 24, 2026
Waratahs went into this semi-final favourites, even though Hillgrove had beaten them in a two day encounter only three weeks earlier. The batting was as strong as it ever had been, with five of them scoring more than 300 runs for the season and James Campbell (#382) and Brian Rhodes (#525) both topping 400. While any attack led by Andrew McNeill (#419) and Michael Connolly (#293) could not be treated lightly, they had lacked a reliable third seemer all season, with Joe Harrison's (#405) relentlessly tight off spin filling one end. Hillgrove had won that recent encounter by batting positively amd attacking.
Hillgrove could not have had a worse start, 2-4 at the end of the second over, with McNeill and Connolly both getting an opener each. Derek Jenkins attacked briefly but McNeill was on fire and Hillgrove were 4-39 - all four batsmen caught behind the wicket.
With the dangerous Warwick Browne and experienced Peter Schaefer resisting, Tim Muldoon (#293) came on long enough to break the partnership, then Joe Harrison took over and spun his strangling web. Waratahs caught well - nine in all - with slip Graham Johnson and wicketkeeper Mark Dymock grabbing three each and McNeill holding two outfield beauties.
Chasing such a small total, Waratahs made an even worse start than Hillgrove, Tony Butler removing Campbell and Dymock in successive balls in the first over and then Peter Joice knocking over the pugnacious Muldoon. Connolly and Graham Frost (#333) added 47 before Connolly was run out and then part timer Gary Phillips bowled Frost. 5-103 was vulnerable but the problem for Hillgrove was a Waratahs batting order that went very deep. In fact, only the last two - McNeill and Harrison - had not scored a 1st grade century.
Rhodes took control through some judicious attacking strokes and found willing support in Johnson, Christian Quaife (#372) and Bede Ryan (#503) adding 57 to secure the win and then 44 and finally 57 unbeaten. Rhodes finished with a red ink century, his second hundred of the season and Waratahs would again join Easts in another 80's Final.
Waratahs v Hillgrove - 1st Grade Semi-Final, 21st & 22nd March 1987
