Welcome to the latest Howzat Building Waratahs in History. This Q & A is with Warren “Wazza” Evans.
Warren played across an incredible 4 decades (33 seasons) in a row for Manly! He debuted in 1986/1987 and played his last 2 games in 2018/2019.
His statistics for the club are unbelievable taking over 770 wickets and scoring over 5,400 runs. With a career bowling average of 19.59, 26 x 5 wickets hauls and best figures of 8 for 39. His batting shows that he was a true all-rounder scoring 1 x 100 and 19 x 50’s with a highest score of 132.
Warren sits in 2nd place in total wickets to the Great Jim Randall and is the only player in the club’s history to take over 700 wickets and score over 5000 runs.
Warren played 384 matches for the “Tahs”. Warren continued his cricket career with our good mates at Warringah Shires and continues to be involved with the “Men in Green”
Warren will go down as one of the best in history and is a true legend of the of MWDCC!
Our Waratahs in History series is proudly sponsored by Howzat Building Services. Visit Andrew Watkins and the team at www.howzatbuildingservices.com.au for all your building needs.
How did your love of cricket come about as a child? Who were your cricket heroes growing up?
Having 2 older brothers and neighbours who all played, my first games were test matches out the front of our house. We lived on a quiet street.
Tell us a bit about your junior journey on your way to playing at Manly?
Junior cricket for Forest led to Warringah Shires when 14 and 15 for 2 seasons. I loved all the reps cricket. I made the NSW sides when 16 and 17.
Who helped you the most throughout those initial years starting out in Grade cricket at Manly?
As Ross Wiblin mentioned in his recent Q&A, prior to Alan Campbell coming in as coach in 88/89 there wasn’t a lot of time thrown at the organisational aspect of trainings nor the development side of things. It really was up to the captains and leaders to set the pace.
I remember Phil Marks coming up to me in the nets pre-season of my first season in 86/87 and saying ““You’re bludging if you’re in 2nd grade at XMAS”.
As a 16yo I thought this was cool.
Bushy had influence over the whole club and I was a bit shy of the first graders. I recall watching in wonderment Manly v NDs in 86/87 when my 3rd grade game was called off at Asquith. I thought it looked next level. Dicky Fry helped me in my very first first grade game in November 87 when he gave me a safety pin as my playing pants decided to lose their elasticity that day. Does that count?
Who were some of the well-known cricketers who you came through the system with, and who was the best player coming through the Manly ranks during your juniors?
Because I made the NSW U16 and U17s teams you got to play against a hell of a lot of very good cricketers.
Players like Slater, Bevan, Lehmann, Blewett, Craig White (England test cricketer), Justin Langer, Brendan Julien, Shane George, Shaun Young, Jamie Cox, Dene Hills all played along with many shield cricketers in these comps across 1986 and 1987
I made the Aust U16 side (last year of u16s, Nationals turned u17s the following season so we all got lucky!), as an all-rounder which will surprise a few! A couple of small asides about a couple of these blokes:
• When Lehmann made his test debut in 1990 (he ended up 12th man and not actually playing for another 10 years) I was invited to net bowl the day before the test. It was raining heavily and the Aust coach, Bobby Simpson, invited us (Gainsy & Adrian Tucker as well) into the change rooms. When Darren saw me we had a great chat as he remembered me from a few years back. The personalities in the room were Dean Jones and Carl Rackemann.
• Justin Langer – played him in Perth in U16s when he was keeping. I scored a 50 and he said “well batted”, I replied “Thanks if you mean it” he replied “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it” I said “thanks and I mean it”. We sniggered. I quite liked the little fireball but sadly I knocked him over first over the next day.
• Jamie Cox – superstar for Tasmania who arguably was very unlucky not to play for Aust. After recognising him at the Easter Show in about 2010 when he was Aust Chairman of Selector, I introduced myself as Warren Evans, we made the Aussie side together in Perth in 1986. He told me I was the first person to properly pin him in the helmet.
You debuted for the Waratahs in 1986 at the age of 16. What do you remember about your grade debut?
Selected in 3rd grade
We played Gordon, lost, I had 6 dropped catches, all behind the wicket, before I got my first wicket. What have I got myself into? I finished with 4/60 odd and scored 15.
What was your top score for Manly? What do you remember about the innings?
Top score was in 2009 I think, 132 in 4th grade. It was the weekend of the 130-year anniversary. We had an average side and I went in at 3/5. Freddy Rosa & Richard Weekes both played after long absences. We were soon 7/38 when Murray Ferguson came in. Murray was clean bowled first ball, but it was a no ball and he and I put on a few. I appreciated batting with Murray. I was in the 90s and he told me I was paying too much respect to the medium pacer bowling. Next ball I straight drove a 6 to get my one and only century for the club.
What do you consider the best innings/spell of bowling from yourself?
I know I’ll have my doubters, but I was a good bat in the early days, especially my first season when 16. I just know Dicky Fry is rolling his eyes.
Best innings. I had a few in my first season. I competed down in Melbourne in the u17s national champs and came back for day 2 of the grade game.
They put me in 2nd grade. We were at Manly Oval v Penrith. We were 2/60 overnight chasing 225.
A useful fast medium, John Saint (played some Shield for Tas a bit later) went through us and I went in at 7 or 8 for 110.
First ball I got a full toss on my pads which I clipped away for a 3. I was batting with Ricky Bartlett, a UK import, and he came down and said great shot. I thought, “what else are you meant to do with a full toss on the pads?”.
I finished 52no.
Did we win….no as only 2 runs were scored up the other end whilst I was in! We were rolled for about 160 odd.
I was in good form at that time. I scored 58 in u17s GF v Vic at MCG the previous weekend. Went in at 5/79, I was down to bat 6 but as we were 4/28, they sent in the more defensive Darryl Mann who batted well for 29.
As for grade bowling……..in 92/93 we played Syd Uni at Manly Oval. They batted first on a road. Skid was captain and he either forgot about me or he had amazing insight into my psyche. I didn’t get a bowl the whole first session and they were about 1/100 at lunch. 6 bowlers were used. He then threw me the ball as we walked out after lunch and said, “get to work”. I bowled the whole session and took 4/13 from 15 overs. Blocker was meant to clean them up after tea because I couldn’t move but he didn’t, so I bowled late in the day, it felt like a massive blob of super glue was injected into my lower back and I was hit around by their tail.
What do you think your strength was as a cricketer?
My resilience. I loved cricket when I was young and scoring runs. The more runs I scored the better I bowled.
Who was the best player at Manly that you played with?
Michael Bevan. No one else came close. He had some big innings for us but a 99 run out v NDs on a tough pitch in 92/93 was a masterclass
I always thought Paul Hoffman could have kicked on for NSW/Aust. He ended up playing for Scotland.
The class of Bevo and Adam Gilchrist was well above all others in the grade scene of the 90s.
I know Adam Gilchrist isn’t a Manly player, but a couple of his digs v Manly stand out.
I’ll mention one of them.
In 90/91 he came in 2nd ball after lunch for Gordon. I got Mark O’Neill out for 30 odd first ball after lunch. The previous season I yorked Mark for a golden. 2nd time around I vividly recall Bushy screaming out “you got him for another golden.”
Mark was an ex Manly player and a decent Shield cricketer.
Gilly came in to join Phil Emery who opened the batting. (Emery finished the day 128no. If Gilly batted all day…seriously 400 was on the cards) I knew he was decent as we played in NSW schoolboys a number of years ago together even though he was at least a year young.
He batted well this day placing the ball, running hard and the occasional boundary. He got out in the over before tea. So in for a session. Maybe 3 or 4 fours, no sixes. They didn’t clap his 50 so when I checked the book at tea, I was dumbstruck to see he had scored 95. Beautiful innings. This was similar to how Bevo crafted his 99. Very easily.
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What is the best innings/bowling spell you saw at Manly from a fellow player?
By a Manly player? As mentioned above, Bevo’s 99. Against good opposition on a tough pitch he was all class. Skid ripped in a couple of times as well.
One of our more successful UK imports, Jamie Pipe, played a great innings in our One Day GF win in 2000. He smashed 55 in very quick time, and it was very entertaining.
Bowling wise. I think Jamie Heath, Mark Cameron and Paul Hoffman were all fantastic bowlers. Shawn Bradstreet made the most of his opportunities and worked hard. Steve Whitfield was the pick of the spinners.
Who was the funniest player you played with at Manly and why? Do you have any clean stories you could share with us?
Many funny blokes but if I had to pick a top 3…Nick Johnson, Dick Fry, Chris Glassock. With Bruce Yuppie Minnett just out of the placings.
Feels wrong though for blokes like Rob Delmenico, Morgan Youell, Angus Johnston not to get a mention.
The first celebratory nude run….88/89. Straight out of Grouchos (sticky nightclub southern end of Manly Oval) across the road and it was actually a nude sprint not a full lap. I remember thinking what would happen if someone came along and stole all of our clothes.
Channel 10 Sports tonight covered one of our nude laps in about 2000 and we made “play of the day”. I actually got on film as I was doing star jumps (with my helmet on).
A funny incident occurred in 97/98 SF v Norths. Warwick Adlam was threatening to take the game away from us but a full-blown streaker ran from the grandstand across the pitch to the scoreboard. Hilarious and even better as next ball my brother Glen bowled a super slow wrong un that bowled Wick.
I was injured and playing 5s in a QF in about 99/00. One of our young blokes, Jeremy Lum, wasn’t known for his fielding. The game was getting tight and a run out chance developed. Someone threw the ball in to the bowlers end where Jeremy was waiting. Both batsmen were down the other end. Jeremy was so pleased with himself for catching the ball he lobbed it to mid-off and the batsmen thought “what the hell?” and made it home.
Who set the on and off field standards?
I always admired Kerry Mackay. Mouse came to us after a long, distinguished career at NDs and played a few seasons. He bowled accurate seamers and a good slipper. He was quiet and diligent. He barely spoke but one game he fired up. It was against NDs at Waitara Oval. I was bowling and he was in slips. I didn’t know it, but my mid off was moved at some recent point. The batsman punched one along the deck back to me and I just stuck my foot out to stop it but missed, thinking mid-off will easily stop it. But instead they ambled through for an easy 2. Kerry exploded….” What was that S#%t?!”. “Sorry Kerry” came my reply. I heard him from 40 meters away which meant he wasn’t happy. First chat we had too.
Years later, in my 2014/15 GF winning 3rd grade team, I had a scorer, Peter Garlick. Champion bloke who couldn’t do enough. Literally. One game v Penrith, Peter was doing his usual, scoring in normal score book plus keeping the weird score sheet that tallied something or other in columns plus e -scoring. All simultaneously as usual. One of the umpires had to duck off for 20 minutes. Peter could not get out of his chair quickly enough. Being a qualified umpire, he wanted in. Being captain, I cheered him on as I attempted to do some of that scoring. Legend.
You took plenty of wickets (over 700), but you also knocked up over 5000 runs?
Yep loved batting!
I scored 4 half centuries in my first year, a couple of stand outs being the 52no and a 90 in PGs. In a similar ratio, 4 runs were scored from the other end. I then had a few lean years with the bat, often little to no chance to really settle in. I always loved getting a bat but sometimes I gave my wicket away cheaply. When chances came, I tended to go OK.
My dad knew his cricket and he always thought I was a better bat than bowler. Many of the players I played with post 1987 are likely raising an eyebrow to this statement and possibly recalling some eye rolls from me when the batting order was read out.
Selected for one first grade game in 87/88 I was selected for round 1 of 88/89. They didn’t come out that well on a flat, dead Graham’s. I finished this game with 0/25 off 15 overs so wasn’t that bad. 3no with the bat as we batted all day to gather a bonus point.
I probably bowled my fastest in a CHS 1 v CHS 2 game in 1987. Phil Alley and I were openers and one of their players, Darren Holley told me after the game “Alley was quick, but I couldn’t see yours!”. That’s what you want to hear as a young quick.
One game early 88/89 we played Wests, still at Graham’s, and Scott Hookey blasted 90. He got off the mark with two dropped catches from my bowling in the slips that both went for 4. After the game our coach, heavily involved with CNSW etc, came up to me and said, “We’re not too sure about Hookey for Shield selection given he had trouble with you early”. Ouch! But fair! Craig Glassock told me many years later he always thought I was a different bowler in the bigger games and probably a fair point.
I took plenty of wickets but it’s the batting I seem to be able to recall quite easily.
Sac was aware I was a keen bat and he got me in as night watchmen on four occasions in the late 90s. Thank you Sac!
I actually faired OK in these knocks against a variety of quality bowlers …Brett Lee had to resort to his beamer to get me out one knock. Anthony Stuart and Phil Alley were a couple of other quality bowlers who I enjoyed contending with.
Who was the best Captain you played with and why?
Played under a lot obviously. Greg Bush had good cricket smarts and led from the front and Craig Glassock got the best out of his team. The 97/98 team was a great example of this finishing 4th and losing a close SF.
Best Nick Name?
Jughead Gainsford, Lum Nuts (Jeremey Lum) or Loose Cranney.
How do you think Manly will finish the 2024/25 season?
This year we could well win 2 premierships along with close losses in a semi and a GF.
What does your life involve now, and do you keep abreast of how the Waratahs are faring?
Loving my golf, enjoy helping out at Warringah shires, love my family and dogs and definitely keep abreast of MWDCC.
