Ian Redpath

Infobox Cricketer


nationality = Australian
country = Australia
country abbrev = AUS
name = Ian Redpath
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Right-hand bat
bowling style = Right-arm medium
balls=true
tests = 66
test runs = 4737
test bat avg = 43.45
test 100s/50s = 8/31
test top score = 171
test overs = 64
test wickets = 0
test bowl avg = -
test 5s = 0
test 10s = 0
test best bowling = -
test catches/stumpings = 83/0
ODIs = 5
ODI runs = 46
ODI bat avg = 9.19
ODI 100s/50s = 0/0
ODI top score = 24
ODI overs = 0
ODI wickets = 0
ODI bowl avg = -
ODI 5s = 0
ODI 10s = 0
ODI best bowling = -
ODI catches/stumpings = 2/0
date = 12 December
year = 2005
source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/7314.html Cricinfo

Ian Ritchie Redpath (born 11 May 1941, Geelong, Victoria) is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976.

Educated at Geelong College, Redpath played first-class cricket for Victoria in 92 matches scoring 6,103 runs with a highest score of 261 made in only his tenth first-class innings, scored in February 1962 against a Queensland attack including Wes Hall.

He made his test debut on New Year’s Day at Melbourne in the second test of the 1963-64 series against South Africa. Opening the batting with Bill Lawry, the pair added 219 before Redpath was bowled on 97.

Redpath was the last Australian test cricketer to play as an amateur. He declined the match fee in his early tests in order not to jeopardise his amateur football career. [Lavelle, A. (2008) "It's My Birthday", "Sunday Age", 11 May 2008]

With his lean, gangly body and long neck, Redpath attracted the early nickname “Gandhi” among his team mates. However, when some concerns about this were expressed by local fans on the Australian tour of India in 1964-65, his colleagues permanently reverted to the simpler “Redders”.

His career was erratic, being consistently dropped and recalled to the national side, often subject to questionable selection decisions. Originally a sweet striker of the ball, Redpath turned into something of a stonewaller, with impressive powers of concentration and a sound technique. He matured late. It would not be until the Sydney test of February 1969 against the West Indies that he reached his maiden test century. In that same series, at Adelaide, he was infamously run out backing up at the bowler's end by Charlie Griffith, without any warning from the bowler.

Having broken through with a big score, Redpath flourished and proceeded to score seven Test centuries in the second half of his career, including five in his final 15 Tests [ [http://stats.cricinfo.com/guru?sdb=player;playerid=1215;class=testplayer;filter=advanced;team=0;opposition=0;notopposition=0;homeaway=0;continent=0;country=0;notcountry=0;groundid=0;season=0;startdefault=1964-01-01;start=1973-06-01;enddefault=1976-02-05;end=1976-02-05;tourneyid=0;finals=0;daynight=0;toss=0;scheduleddays=0;scheduledovers=0;innings=0;followon=0;result=0;seriesresult=0;captain=0;keeper=0;dnp=0;recent=;viewtype=aro_list;runslow=;runshigh=;batposition=0;dismissal=0;bowposition=0;ballslow=;ballshigh=;bpof=0;overslow=;overshigh=;conclow=;conchigh=;wicketslow=;wicketshigh=;dismissalslow=;dismissalshigh=;caughtlow=;caughthigh=;caughttype=0;stumpedlow=;stumpedhigh=;csearch=;submit=1;.cgifields=viewtype Statsguru - Tests - Innings by innings list] ] , and three in his final test series in 1975-76 whilst opening the batting against a vaunted West Indian fast bowling attack featuring Michael Holding and the great Andy Roberts. It was not until his penultimate test that he struck his first six, advancing down the wicket to loft Lance Gibbs over the fence. Having done so, he promptly hit another six in the same innings.

He was Australian vice captain to Ian Chappell in 1974-75, and to Greg Chappell in 1975-76. When the younger Chappell made a century on debut in 1970-71, Redpath contributed 171 himself, accompanying the young batsman to the milestone. “I learned a lot about batting in test cricket just from batting with Ian Redpath on that day,” said Greg Chappell. [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Ximn0yhB-bUC&pg=PA147&lpg=PA147&dq=ian+redpath+chappell&source=web&ots=r878jfqcOl&sig=2SuypOZdmZZkJoQ6yqQW5YZc1FQ&hl=en]

At Auckland in 1973-74, he carried his bat for 159* out of a total of 346 against New Zealand. Redpath also had the rare honour of sharing a first-wicket century stand in Tests with four different partners – Bill Lawry, Keith Stackpole, Rick McCosker and Alan Turner.

Redpath was widely regarded as an affable individual. However during player payment negotiations in 1974-75, he showed his steel. Despite record takings at the gate, the Australian Cricket Board refused any thought of a player pay rise. When Australian Cricket Board administrator Alan Barnes told a dressing room of Australian cricketers that there were 50,000 others who would be prepared to play for Australia for nothing, the normally mild mannered Redpath reacted. According to Ian Chappell, Redpath grabbed Barnes around the throat and had him up against a wall, saying "You bloody idiot. Of course there are 50,000 out there who would play for nothing. But how bloody good would the Australian team be?" [ [http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2002/s720418.htm 7.30 Report - 06/11/2002: Doco looks at cricket in the 70s ] ]

Previously, when then captain Bill Lawry drafted a stinging letter to the board critical of the arrangements that players had been forced to endure on the combined tours of India and South Africa in 1969-70, Redpath proposed that all the players should sign it. Lawry demurred, signing it only in his own name. This sealed the fate of Lawry’s career. Redpath was one of the few to survive that disastrous tour of South Africa with a reputation intact, averaging 47.17 in the four Tests. During an innings on tour of 152 against Orange Free State at Bloemfontein, he scored 32 runs off a six-ball over, which remains a record for any Australian in first class cricket.

An outstanding fieldsman in the slips or at short leg, Redpath took 83 Test catches. His bowling was undistinguished; he was once called for throwing against Glamorgan in 1964.

Redpath retired from test cricket in order to devote himself full time to proprietorship of an antique business in Geelong. He had already declined the 1975 Ashes tour to tend to this neglected enterprise. However his absence from top cricket was brief. After a season out of the game, he signed for World Series Cricket, lured by a personal visit to Geelong by Kerry Packer’s lieutenant Austin Robertson, and despite Packer’s initial reluctance to contract the Victorian. As with many of his colleagues, the personal costs of supporting the rebel entrepreneur were significant; after two decades of service to the South Melbourne Cricket Club, Redpath was made persona non grata. In an early world series match at VFL Park Waverley in 1977-78, Redpath snapped his Achilles tendon, an injury that ruled him out for the season. Packer declared that Redpath would be paid for the duration. The Victorian repayed the loyalty by returning again for 1978-79, playing mainly in World Series country cup games. He was recalled for one final burst of international glory, playing two supertests at the age of 37. At Sydney, against the by then fearsome West Indies XI attack, he took blow after blow on the body, holding out for 143 minutes to make 9, and adding 71 critical runs with David Hookes which contributed to an improbable 10 wicket victory for the Australian XI.

He remains among Victoria's top ten run-makers of all time. After finally retiring from playing, he later coached Victoria. He was awarded an MBE in 1975. [ [http://www.newsphotos.com.au/ImageDetail.asp?RefNum=11652160 NewsPhotos - CRICKET - GALLERY - 1975: Father John Brosnan and cricketer Ian Redpath with their ] ]

He is now retired from the antique business, but remains active at the Geelong Cricket Club.

References

External links

* [http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/7314.html Cricinfo article on Ian Redpath]
* [http://www.cricketvictoria.com.au/page/ian_redpath.html Ian Redpath - Memorable Matches]
* [http://premier.cricketvictoria.com.au/page/redpath_ian_ritchie.html Victorian Premier Cricket Legends]