OUR local sporting team ground "The Park" was renamed Peter Fenwicke Oval last Saturday in what could be described as less than favourable weather conditions.
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THE sign down the Bowling Club end of the field was unveiled by Peter's sister Col King in the presence of his four sons, David, Jim, Murray and Geoffrey, along with some of the members of their respective families.
PETER Thomas Fenwicke was born in Walcha in 1932 and died on Anzac Day 1987 during which time he displayed great talents at whatever sport he turned his hand to.
NOT only did he captain the Wallabies rugby team, he also skippered the New South Wales country rugby and cricket teams as well. I wonder how many players have done that?
BESIDES being a champion golfer, tennis player, and shooter Peter was a very talented right-hand batsman and left-arm spinner who was named the second captain of the Emu Colts Cricket Team in 1950/51.
EMU teams were selected at the completion of the JS White carnival played in Tamworth each year between U21 teams from the Northern Tablelands, North West, North Coast and Hunter Valley.
PETER Fenwicke captained the Walcha District cricket team to victory in the 1956/57 Northern Tablelands competition against Inverell at Armidale and was the only Northern Tablelands player to represent New South Wales Country that season.
IT WAS during that season he had a remarkable batting average of 211 but as all batsmen had to play in two thirds of the games in the Walcha competition during the season to qualify for the averages, he didn't because he only played in five games.
DURING those five local games Peter scored 133 not out, 121 not out, 151 not out, five and 12 to give him an aggregate of 422 which was halved because he was dismissed twice.
THAT same season Peter did win the bowling average, because bowlers were only required to take a certain amount of wickets to qualify and it didn't matter how many games it took them.
FOR the record Peter snared 24 wickets at a cost of just 5.45 runs per victim. With reference to the above mentioned Emu Colts team, only six Walcha players have reached that representative level - the other five being Neville Holstien, Lance Kermode, Rob Blomfield, Owen Sweeney and Stephen "Normie" Goodwin.
CONGRATULATIONS to the Walcha Rams who will finish Central and North Minor Premiers after they receive the bye in the final round of the competition.
The Walcha Rams will finish Central North Minor Premiers after they receive points for the bye in the final round of the competition.
THE Rams are currently five points ahead of Narrabri and collect five more from the bye this Saturday. Finishing minor premiers means at least two more home games for the Rams - the major semi-final and one other.
A WIN in the major semi books a grand final here at home while the loss means Walcha will host the preliminary final. The Rams Reggies can still make it mathematically but need Pirates to belt the Gwydir River Rats by more than 24 points. Walcha are currently equal fifth with Narrabri on 52.5 points behind the River Rats.
THE Rams pick up five points for the bye this Saturday while Narrabri do battle with second-placed Moree.
BAD luck to the Walcha Jillaroos whose Group 19 second division Ladies League Tag season came to an abrupt halt last Saturday when they were spanked 46-6 by Uralla at Warialda.
THE girls lead 6 to 4 at one early stage in the preliminary final but it all went pear-shaped after that. A reminder also that the annual Workplace Challenge sponsored by the New England Hotel is set down for the following Sunday.
THAT event is a three person Ambrose format, so grab a couple of mates - male female or otherwise - to form a team and have a bash.
