THE SEMIS - 1st Grade v Easts 1985
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | March 30, 2026
Waratahs, even with the most optomistic viewpoint, were on a hiding in the semi final of 1984-85. They had finished 4th and faced the Minor Premiers Easts after winning only 4 games from the 14 they had played, including two very uncomfortably easy losses to Easts and one narrow escape. The Easts side they would face, with a top six of Ray Eddie, Bruce Taylor, Rick Porter, Richard Rowling, Peter Owen and Neil Baillie being as good as any top six to hark from the Daffodils. Waratahs batting had its own look of solidarity, with Tim Muldoon (#296) making 400 for the season and Victor Crew (#399), Jason Kelleher (#415), Graham Frost (#333) all making 300 and four others also qualifying for the club batting awards. Seven of them had played in every game and returning back to the side aftyer injury was the allrounder, Roger Sattler (#378).
Easts batted first and almost inevitably, made 300 before the compulsory declaration after 85 overs. As was the custom in the first half of the 80's, Andrew McNeill (#419), Wes Davis (#386) and Sattler bowled most of the overs between them, but it was partime leggie, David Lawrence (#455) who got them back in the game. After the star openers Eddie and Taylor had made tripple figures for the first wicket, McNeill and Lawrence got as far as reducing Easts to 4-171 but of course, Rick Porter punished them as he made a habit of in end of season games. He was unlucky to miss his hundred, adding 125 with another tormentor, Neil Baillie.
Waratahs reply made a good start, with 70 between openers Lawrence and Frost, both batting brightly until Baillie grabbed them both and Chris Drake (#471) and the metronomic Michael Porter deceived Crew. Somewhere in there, Muldoon managed to get run out at the top of his game and 4-98 was a useful start wasted.
Waratahs batted deep, with 1st grade century scorer Christian Quaife (#372) at nine and Sattler, at his best when fighting, running deeply into his best form of the season. 59 was added with Kelleher, 73 with Greg Johnson but Baillie was spinning his usual tight web. With overs running out and partners scarce and the game getting tight, Satts made the decision to trust his skill and get there quickly, as resistance at the other end was unlikely to deny Baillie. 22 were added with McNeill but with six overs left there was no choice but to attack. To this day, Wally still gets sad at the outcome, ninth out with a century and a famous victory so close.
It was his finest innings for the club, typical of the man and representative of his beligerent fighting spirit. Easts were served well by Nobby Baillie's sevenfa and the relentless line and length of Porter.
Waratahs lost by 26 in one of the best semis seen in 1st Grade.
