THE FINALS - A-Reserve Grade v Hillgrove, 12th/19th April 1969
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | April 17, 2026
Waratahs went into the Final unbeaten for the season, including five matches outright by an innings and an emphatic win in the semi-final against Teachers. Keith McIntyre (#129) got to the Final in the sort of form you can only dream of, with his last five innings since Christmas being: 38 v Churches, 67 v Ex-Services, 101x and 52x v Teachers and 82 v Teachers (semi-final) … more than 500 runs before the Final started.
They were a side full of runs in a heavy scoring season. Greg Russell (#131) 400 runs and Bob Brennan (#127), Brendan McGee (#200), John McCann (#222) and Jeff Walsh (#84) had all made hundreds during the season. The usual suspects - Col Marshall and John Russell - were the leading wicket takers.
In their only meeting of the season, in the opening round, Waratahs had a clear victory thanks to the Failes boys - Tony (#220) with 7-37 and John (#107) with 79.
Waratahs batted first and lost McGee immediately before McIntyre and Greg Russell added 86 to have them in their usually strong batting position but Stathers made the breakthrough to remove Russell and then Morgan and Frost whipped through the rest. Waratahs last eight wickets adding only 87 in their lowest total of the season. Hillgrove’s reply had a shaky start but former Waratahs batsman Dick Chisholm had steadied things by stumps.
On the second day, Tony Failes struck after three quarters of an hour, removing Chisholm as he raced toward his half century but before the next batsman could get set, the rain started falling. The afternoon was spent with the game balanced and both sides watching the skies but it was the weather which won and no further play was possible.
Under the rules that existed at the time, the Premiership was shared, despite Waratahs being the Minor Premiers by a significant margin over second place Hillgrove and not having lost a game all season.
Waratahs v Hillgrove - A-Reserve Grade Final, 12th/19th April, 1969
