Southern Redbacks

Infobox cricket team
county=South Australia


oneday=Southern Redbacks
coach=flagicon|Australia Mark Sorell
captain=flagicon|Australia Graham Manou
founded=1887
ground=Adelaide Oval
capacity=33,597
fcdebutvs=Tasmania
fcdebutyr=1887
fcdebutvenue=Adelaide Oval
pura=13
frcwins=2
website= [http://www.cricketsa.com.au/ Southern Redbacks]

The Southern Redbacks are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia. It competes in the first class competition the Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup and the Twenty20 tournament known as the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. The team's home ground and main training venue is the Adelaide Oval. Their One-Day match uniform's dominant colour is red similar to Zimbabwe. The current One Day match uniform features a red body with black sleeves and manufacturer adidas' trademark three-stripe design on the sides. Currently the Redbacks have not won any competition since the 1995/1996 season.

History

The earliest known First-class match played by South Australia took place against Tasmania on the Adelaide Oval in November 1877. [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2155.html] 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 13 times in total while they have twice won the One Day tournament now known as the Ford Ranger Cup.

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 which remains a state record. In 1934 Donald Bradman joined the club after originally playing with New South Wales, and started with scores of 117, 233 and 357 in his first three innings. Others include the Chappell brothers, David Hookes and Terry Jenner.

South Australia have also imported cricketers to play for them, the most famous being 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 1538 runs in 1970/71.

Honours

Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup (13)Highest individual score:
* Don Bradman 369 vs Tasmania in 1935/36Most centuries:
* Darren Lehmann 42Most runs in a season:
* Barry Richards 1538 runs in 1970/71Highest partnership:
* David Hookes and Wayne Phillips 462* vs Tasmania in 1986/87Highest team score:
* 821-7d vs Queensland in 1939/40

Most wickets for South Australia [cite web|url=http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/Australia/Firstclass/SouthAustralia/Bowling_Records/Most_Career_Wickets.html| title=Most Wickets for South Australia| publisher=Cricket Archive]

Most wickets in a season:
* Shaun Tait 65Most wickets in an innings:
* Tim Wall 10/36 vs NSW in 1932/33Most wickets in a match:
* George Giffen 17-201 vs Victoria in 1885/86

References

External links

* Official Website of the [http://www.cricketsa.com.au/SubHomeWhite.aspx?p=81 Southern Redbacks]
* Official Website of [http://www.cricket.com.au/portal/site Cricket Australia]
* Article on team's history from [http://content-www.cricinfo.com/southaustralia/content/story/262292.html Cricinfo]