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The South Australia men's cricket team is an Australian men's professional first-class cricket team based in the state of South Australia. South Australia play their home matches at Adelaide Oval and Karen Rolton Oval, they are the state cricket team for South Australia representing the state in the Sheffield Shield competition and the limited overs One-Day Cup. The team is selected and supported by the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA).

The team's One-Day Cup uniform features a red body with gold and blue elements, the state's colours. They were known as the Southern Redbacks from 1995 to 2024, and officially competed under the West End Redbacks moniker from 1996 to 2024 due to a sponsorship agreement with West End. The Redbacks formerly competed in the now-defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, but were succeeded by the Adelaide Strikers in 2011 because this league was replaced with the Big Bash League.

History

thumb|right|The former logo used while the team was known as the West End Redbacks.|292x292px

The earliest known first-class match played by South Australia took place against Tasmania on the Adelaide Oval in November 1877. In 1892–93, they joined New South Wales and Victoria and played the inaugural Sheffield Shield season. South Australia won the Shield in just their second attempt. They have won the competition 15 times in total while they have won the One Day tournament four times. They are also the current holders of the KFC 20/20 Big Bash trophy, defeating NSW in the 2010/11 final at Adelaide Oval. They will continue to hold the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash trophy, as the league is now defunct and has been replaced by the Big Bash League.

Over the years, many successful international cricketers have played for South Australia. Clarrie Grimmett played with them during the 1920s and '30s, taking a total of 668 wickets. This remains a state record. In 1934, Sir Donald Bradman moved to South Australia and joined the team after originally playing with New South Wales, and he started with scores of 117, 233 and 357 in his first three innings. Others include the Chappell brothers (Ian and Greg), David Hookes, Darren Lehmann, Gil Langley, Jason Gillespie, and Terry Jenner.

South Australia has also imported cricketers to play for them, with the most famous being Sir Gary Sobers, who appeared in three seasons during the early 1960s, and Barry Richards. Richards played just one season with South Australia but managed to set a state record for most runs in a season, making 1101 runs in the 1970–71 season.

Squad

Squad for the 2024/25 domestic season. Players with international caps are listed in bold.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!No.

!Name

!Nationality

!Birth date

!Batting style

!Bowling style

!Notes

|-

! colspan="7" style="background: #DCDCDC" align=right| Batters

|-

|style="text-align:center"|3|| Kyle Brazell || || || Left-handed || Slow left-arm orthodox|| Rookie contract

|-

|style="text-align:center"|15|| Mackenzie Harvey || || || Left-handed || Right-arm medium-fast||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|22|| Henry Hunt || || || Right-handed || Right-arm medium ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|23|| Jake Fraser-McGurk || |||| Right-handed || Right-arm leg spin||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|31|| Thomas Kelly || |||| Right-handed || ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|33|| Jake Lehmann || || || Left-handed || Slow left-arm orthodox ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|34|| Travis Head || || || Left-handed || Right-arm off break|| Cricket Australia contract

|-

|style="text-align:center"|37|| Conor McInerney || || || Left-handed || Slow left-arm orthodox||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|47|| Daniel Drew || || || Right-handed || Right–arm off break||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|50|| Jason Sangha || || || Right-handed || Right–arm leg break||

|-

! colspan="7" style="background: #DCDCDC" align=right| All-rounders

|-

|style="text-align:center"|6|| Liam Scott || |||| Right-handed || Right-arm fast-medium||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|38|| Nathan McSweeney || || || Right-handed || Right-arm off break|| Captain

|-

|style="text-align:center"|-|| Aidan Cahill|| |||| Right-handed || Right-arm medium-fast|| Rookie contract

|-

! colspan="7" style="background: #DCDCDC" align=right| Wicket-keepers

|-

|style="text-align:center"|4|| Harry Nielsen || || || Left-handed || ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|5|| Alex Carey || || || Left-handed || || Cricket Australia contract

|-

|style="text-align:center"|7|| Harry Matthias || || || Right-handed || || Rookie contract

|-

! colspan="7" style="background: #DCDCDC" align=right| Pace bowlers

|-

|style="text-align:center"|0|| Nathan McAndrew || || || Right-handed || Right-arm medium-fast ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|9|| Wes Agar || || || Right-handed || Right-arm fast ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|13|| Harry Conway || || || Right-handed || Right-arm fast-medium ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|21|| Jordan Buckingham || || || Left-handed || Right-arm fast-medium ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|35|| Brendan Doggett || || || Right-handed || Right-arm fast-medium ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|45|| Spencer Johnson || || || Left-handed || Left-arm fast ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|58|| Henry Thornton || || || Right-handed || Right-arm fast ||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|–|| Campbell Thompson || || || – || Left-arm medium-fast|| Rookie contract

|-

! colspan="7" style="background: #DCDCDC" align=right| Spin bowlers

|-

|style="text-align:center"|46|| Ben Manenti || || || Right-handed || Right-arm off break||

|-

|style="text-align:center"|24|| Lloyd Pope || || || Right-handed || Right-arm leg break||

|-

|}

Honours

thumb|[[Jamie Siddons, captain of the South Australian Cricket Team which defeated Western Australia, holds the Sheffield Shield above his head, 3 April 1996.]]

thumb|The South Australian team celebrate winning the Sheffield Shield, 29 March 2025.

  • Sheffield Shield
  • Winners (15): 1893–94, 1909–10, 1912–13, 1926–27, 1935–36, 1938–39, 1952–53, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1975–76, 1981–82, 1995–96, 2024–25, 2025–26
  • Runners-up (22): 1894–95, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1906–07, 1907–08, 1908–09, 1910–11, 1913–14, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1962–63, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1979–80, 1988–89, 1994–95, 2015–16, 2016–17
  • One-Day Cup
  • Winners (4): 1983–84, 1986–87, 2011–12, 2024–25
  • Runners-up (8): 1984–85, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1994–95, 2005–06, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2022–23
  • Twenty20 Big Bash
  • Winners (1): 2010–11
  • Runners-up (1): 2009–10

Records

196x196px|right|thumb|George Giffen

First-class Records

{|

| width="50%" valign="top" |

Most first-class runs for South Australia

{| class="wikitable"

! Player!!Runs!!Average!!Innings

|-

|Darren Lehmann || 11,945 || 57.15 || 224

|-

|Greg Blewett || 10,003 || 46.09 || 230

|-

|David Hookes || 9,785 || 47.27 || 216

|-

|Les Favell || 8,610 || 38.09 || 230

|-

|Callum Ferguson || 8,371 || 38.05 || 239

|-

|Ian Chappell || 7,887 || 52.58 || 164

|-

|Neil Dansie || 7,079 || 35.04 || 210

|-

|Peter Sleep || 6,656 || 36.37 || 226

|-

|Clem Hill || 6,631 || 52.21 || 133

|-

|Andrew Hilditch || 6,547 || 41.96 || 167

|-

|}

| width="50%" valign="top" |

Most first-class wickets for South Australia

{| class="wikitable"

! Player!!Wickets!!Average!!Innings

|-

|Clarrie Grimmett || 546 || 25.89 || 158

|-

|Ashley Mallett || 353 || 24.11 || 145

|-

|Chadd Sayers || 279 || 25.86 || 129

|-

|Tim May || 277 || 37.31 || 138

|-

|Peter Sleep || 273 || 38.99 || 218

|-

|Joe Mennie || 256 || 27.11 || 129

|-

|George Giffen || 240 || 26.91 || 70

|-

|Peter McIntyre || 237 || 40.03 || 115

|-

|Geff Noblet || 225 || 17.99 || 81

|-

|Terry Jenner || 213 || 30.98 || 120

|-

|}

|}

List A Records

{|

| width="50%" valign="top" |

Most List A runs for South Australia

{| class="wikitable"

! Player!!Runs!!Average!!Innings

|-

|Darren Lehmann || 4,088 || 55.24 || 89

|-

|Callum Ferguson || 4,085 || 40.44 || 111

|-

|Greg Blewett || 3,645 || 40.50 || 100

|-

|Tom Cooper || 3,023 || 39.77 || 85

|-

|Michael Klinger || 2,524 || 52.58 || 51

|-

|Mark Cosgrove || 1,978 || 32.42 || 64

|-

|Graham Manou || 1,554 || 22.20 || 94

|-

|Alex Carey* || 1,494 || 36.43 || 43

|-

|Travis Head* || 1,406 || 41.35 || 35

|-

|Jake Weatherald || 1,383 || 36.39 || 39

|-

|}

| width="50%" valign="top" |

Most List A wickets for South Australia

{| class="wikitable"

! Player!!Wickets!!Average!!Innings

|-

|Shaun Tait || 103 || 22.92 || 53

|-

|Kane Richardson || 84 || 30.64 || 52

|-

|Paul Wilson || 75 || 23.42 || 48

|-

|Jason Gillespie || 70 || 29.87 || 54

|-

|Mark Cleary || 67 || 30.92 || 49

|-

|Greg Blewett || 63 || 33.07 || 68

|-

|Mark Harrity || 58 || 27.29 || 41

|-

|Gary Putland || 54 || 29.38 || 34

|-

|Dan Christian || 54 || 33.33 || 42

|-

|Jake Haberfield || 52 || 21.38 || 29

|-

|}

|}

'All Time Best Team'

right|thumb|Don Bradman's South Australian team blazer.|265x265px

In 2024 SACA members voted for and selected a greatest ever South Australian Men's team consisting of 12 players - called the 'All Time Best Team'.

{| class="wikitable"

!Men's All Time Best Team

|-

|Clem Hill

|-

|Greg Blewett

|-

|Sir Donald Bradman

|-

|Ian Chappell

|-

|Greg Chappell

|-

|Darren Lehmann

|-

|Sir Garfield Sobers

|-

|Barry Jarman

|-

|Clarrie Grimmett

|-

|Jason Gillespie

|-

|Rodney Hogg

|-

|Geff Noblet

|-

|}

See also

  • List of South Australian representative cricketers

References

  • West End Redbacks
  • A brief history of South Australia