THE FINALS - 4th Grade v Hillgrove Colts, 28th/29th March 1998
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | April 09, 2026
The Waratahs side who played 4th Grade in 1997-98, were an interesting mix of age, gender and experience. Skipper Albert Hofkamp (#476-pictured) had some outstanding young players at his disposal - Ryan McDonald (#782), Lindsay McIntyre (#788), James Harwood (#758) and son Carl Hofkamp (#677) - and the sort of experience to call on that any skipper could only dream of - Wes Davis (#386), Roger Roan(#176) and Graham Patterson (#346).
It had got them to the Finals almost unscathed but a 160 run demolition in the Major Semi, when their batting imploded at the hands of Hillgrove Colts - and lets face it, things are dire when Wes Davis is second top score - made progress difficult. The following weekend, the Preliminary Final was fading away as Easts were in control until the reluctant Davis - the 8th bowler used - took 4-16 off 13 overs and McIntyre and McDonald made short work of a tricky chase.
Colts were led by the immovable Harry Browne, who was very much at the veteran stage of a long sporting career but refused to donate his wicket at any price and it was an attitude he imbibed into his young team. As others before him had said and done, batting in a Final was about using all of the overs allocated.
Hillgrove batted first and did just that, still with two wickets left at the innings change after 85 overs. Wayne “Froggy” Fuller, batting at 4, red inked. The problem wasn’t defence, it was offence. Their 85 overs produced only a little more than 1.3 an over. The bowling figures were staggering, with Harwood taking 5-30 off 26 overs, Roan 2-17 off 18 and Albert Hofkamp 1-28 off 18.
Waratahs reply was heading the same way at 4-62 off 45 overs until the dismissal of Patterson brought Skipper Hofkamp to the crease. Having played in so many disappointments in matches at this end of the season, he was determined to succeed. His breezy 43 not out was easily the best innings of the match and delivered a Premiership.
Waratahs v Hillgrove Colts - 4th Grade, 28th/29th March 1998
