THE FINALS - A-Res Grade Vets v A-Res Grade, 28th/29th March 1981
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | April 07, 2026
In a most unusual Final, Waratahs could again continue their tradition of suspect batting losing them a Premiership and yet, still enjoy basking in victory, for this was the season in which the ADCA was caught on the hop, with Waratahs having four nominated teams in a three grade system. It was one of the factors that caused the Association’s Committee of Review, led by the studious Easts skipper Brian Warren, to recommend the formation of two additional grades.
Waratahs fourth side - known as the Waratahs Vets - were constructed of men whose time in A and A-Res Grade had passed but they felt unable to play in B Grade. In fact, for many of them, the grading committee which would be formed the following season, would have prevented them. The Waratahs Club embraced these former champions and in the main, allowed them to play together as a team, altered only when need arose through unavailability or in order to make sure everyone in the Club got a game.
The Vets batting was far to good for the ADCA’s Reserve Grade - Alan Gray (#26), Allan Cox (#160) the club record holders of the opening partnership in A Grade; Brian Connolly (#226), Jack Trestrail (#303), Ian Campbell (#212), Brian Joice (#218), Syd Philp (#269) all with long A Grade careers with Waratahs and other clubs and mountains of runs. Alec Finlayson (#340) was as good a ball striker as any in the lower grades and an unconventional but seriously good gloveman. Joice, Trestrail, Connolly, skipper John Roberts (#115) and Cox had nearly 500 A Grade wickets, let alone the great cache Joice and Bob Barwick had in Reserves.
Vets had waltzed through the competition untroubled, always scoring huge totals - often with multiple batsmen retiring to give everyone a bat - and having far too much experience for batsmen at this level when they bowled.
The “regular” Waratahs side had a mixed season, with four different captains, twenty six different players and seven different opening bowling combinations. Peter Snell’s (#384) batting ahd been near perfect and his leg spin, with a best of 7-67 against the Vets, was the only bowling which qualified for club awards. The most consistent of the rest, Bruce Bradley (#385) and David Tilbury (#302) bowled lots of overs at reasonable run rates but uninspiring in the frequency with which they claimed scalps.
The regulars batted first and Joice went through them, removing Graham Patterson (#346), the gun Snell and Andrew Davis (#364) to catches behind the wicket and 3-13, it was as bad a start as nightmares on the Friday night could have dreamed of. Roberts replaced Trestrail immediately. Mike Henderson (#376), the saviour of the semi-final, had withstood the initial onslaught but was smartly stumped by Finlayson and the ‘other gun’, Paul Brock (#391) was bowled. 5-35 and little hope was left. Christian Quaif (#372) fought on and the tail tried hard to get a total to bowl at but Trestrail’s return and the perfect leg break from Barwick ended it.
The Vets weren’t even bothered. Bradley bowled unchanged, eventually claiming three wickets but the first wicket added 41 and the second 60 as the Vets played from long experience and mostly as if they were batting with a stump. By the time Snell finally got a bowl and had Cox stumped, the game was over, the leg spinner’s riches left largely unspent, despite his early season success against the same batsmen. Connolly played with his usual impenetrable red ink defence as Finlayson stroked 43 of the last unbeaten 63 before the youngsters waved the white flag.
Winners and losers in the same game.
Waratahs Vets v Waratahs - A-Reserve Grade Final, 28th/29th March 1981
