1981/82 ‘A’ Grade Semi Final

Our next Past Player Profile isn’t too far away but first, we’re taking a look back at another Memorable Moment in WCC history – the 1981/82 A Grade Semi Final, which was played against Mt Barker at the neutral Echunga Oval.

 

Batting first, the Echidnas started well, moving the score along to 2/90 before a classic WCC collapse saw the score slump to 6/137 after approx 38 overs. From there, something truly remarkable followed, as the Echidnas’ tail wagged like no other tail in the history of the club, if not the Association – best described by the following partnerships:-

 

7th Wicket – 58 runs – G. Bellman & M. Prokopec* (7/195)

8th Wicket – 52 runs – M. Prokopec & J. Mahomet* (8/247)

9th Wicket – 38 runs – J. Mahomet & “Sting” Nettle* (9/285)

10th Wicket – 99 runs – “Sting” Nettle* & R. Falk (10/384).

 

Even more remarkable was how quickly the tail scored those runs – Wistow were 6/157 after 45 overs (3.5 runs per over) and scored 90 runs from the next 15 overs (6 rpo) to reach 8/247 at the final drinks break after 60 overs, before scoring a further 137 runs from 19.2 overs (7.1 rpo) to be bowled out for 384 from 79.2 overs.

 

Unsurprisingly, the 99 run 10th Wicket Partnership between Brian “Sting” Nettle & Roger Falk is the highest 10th Wicket Partnership in Club history, in any grade.

 

Those lower order runs ultimately proved the difference as Mt Barker started well, reaching 5/249, however, the Kookaburras’ tail failed to wag as they were bowled out for 292 from 77.4 overs, with opening bowler, Lloyd “Bing” Bilney (3/52 from 18) and spinner, Roger Falk (3/78 from 17.4) leading the way.

 

A sign of how truly strong that Wistow batting lineup was – 8 of the 11 averaged over 25 with the bat in ‘A’ Grade that season, 9 different players scored either a half-century or century during the season and 6 different batters scored over 230 runs for the season, including the heart and soul of the WCC – Ken J. Nettle who scored 296 runs @ 24.67 including a century but missed the SF.

 

The Mt Barker side also had a Wistow flavour, with two former Echidnas taking the field – Ron Lores and K. Ruediger. Ron, a 1973/74 A Grade Premiership player, played at least 50 matches for the WCC between 1964 and 1976, including 24 in A Grade, where he scored at least 404 runs @ 18.36 with 2 half-centuries. Extremely underutilised as a bowler, Ron only took a handful of wickets in A Grade but excelled in lower grades, taking 27 wickets at a low average of 11.07. Ruediger, meanwhile, played A Grade up at the Hill for the 1971/72 season, scoring 92 runs @ 9.20 and taking 5 wickets @ 11.80.