Redbacks squad has what it takes to emulate the class of 1995/96

For the first time in a long time there is a genuine buzz about South Australia’s Redbacks in the Sheffield Shield competition.

After defeating ladder leaders New South Wales yesterday, South Australia is now at the top heading into the Christmas and Big Bash break.

It is the first time since the start of the 2009/10 season, when South Australia won the first game of the season, that the Redbacks will be at the top.

Cricket in South Australia, in the longer form, has been horrendous since the famous Shiled win in the 1995/96 season. Noncompetitive teams rooted to the bottom of the ladder have been common for the red and black of South Australia.

A lack of quality players from the state has also been a problem. Since the turn of the millennium only three players who have represented Australia have come from SA – and they only played three tests between them.

Despite this, the feats of the 2013/14 Redbacks are starting to reverse the years of pain suffered by many fans and players alike.

Large run chases are now planned out methodically and batsmen are consistently making large scores, and long gone are the incredible collapses.

For example, South Australia was 3-6 in the second innings against New South Wales. They recovered and achieved victory for the loss of just one more wicket.

All bowlers are also contributing well, with two of the top three of wicket-takers in the Sheffield Shield coming from SA.

They are also starting to produce players from their own state who play significant roles with Travis Head, Kane Richardson, Gary Putland, Callum Ferguson and Chadd Sayers all contributing to the squad.

So how does this class stack up to the champions of 1995/96? Very well is the answer.

This year’s team is averaging more points than the champions. The 1995/96 team finished the season on 34 points, an average of 3.4 points per game, while this year’s team already has 22 points after 6 games at an average of 3.7 points per game.

They also haven’t lost a game this season where the 1995/96 team lost outright twice.

They are also making more runs while restricting the opposition to almost the same runs as the 1995/96 team.

In the first innings of each match, the Redbacks this year are averaging 396 runs with the bat from six matches. This is 40 runs better than the 1995/96 squad which averaged 354 in their first dig.

Per wicket lost, the Redbacks this year are almost five runs better. The Redbacks score 37.12 runs per wicket this year compared with 32.72 runs from the 1995/96 team.

When comparing how they restrict the opposition it is almost identical.

In the opposition’s first innings, this year’s Redbacks concede an average of 318.5 runs. This is compared with 318.7 from the 1995/96 Redbacks.

In relation to runs per wicket there are 0.3 runs between the two squads. This year’s Redbacks concede 32.65 runs per wicket with the 1995/96 Redbacks conceding 32.62 runs.

This indicates the Redbacks of this year are better with the bat and almost identical to the champions of 1995/96 with the ball.

Individually, the current squad also backs up well against the champions.

In the batting, Darren Lehmann led the 1995/96 squad with 1099 runs at an average of 54.95. Fellow leftie, Phil Hughes, is eclipsing that with 549 runs at an average of 61 after five matches.

James Brayshaw was the next best for the 1995/96 squad with an average of 45.66. Tom Cooper, who has played all six matches, and Callum Ferguson (three) are beating that with averages of 51.20 and 72.25 respectively.

Youngster Travis Head is averaging 42.36 at number three which is better than 1995/96 opener, Paul Nobes, who averaged 40 in 1995/96.

Even Michael Klinger, with the lowest average of the top five, is beating the 1995/96 squad.

His average of 35.87 is better than Darren Webber who averaged just 25.93 as opener in the championship-winning squad.

In the battle of the wicketkeepers Tim Ludeman is averaging 21.50, which is better than Tim Nielsen who averaged 19.05 with the willow.

Ludeman is also taking more catches than Nielsen with 20 in six games compared to 34 over 11 games to Nielsen.

Even the bowlers are batting well.

Bowlers turned all-rounders Kane Richardson and Joe Mennie are averaging 35.87 and 28.42 respectively this season, with Mennie already securing two half centuries this year.

No bowler in the 1995/96 squad averaged more than 15.

Speaking of the bowlers, the 2013/14 squad is also performing as well as the 1995/96 squad with the ball, with Chadd Sayers and Johan Botha replicating what Jason Gillespie and Tim May did in the Sheffield Shield winning season.

After six matches, Botha has 24 wickets at an average of 28.87, while Sayers has 22 wickets at an average of 28.04.

Gillespie had 46 wickets at an average of 21.78, with Tim May taking 43 wickets at 33.02.

While I can’t see Sayers replicating what Gillespie did in 1995/96, he is still having a stellar season – much like 2012/13 when he was the leading wicket-taker with 48 wickets.

One area of difference between the two teams is the third bowler. The current squad has more bowling options compared to the 1995/96 squad.

In the 1995/96 squad, Peter McIntyre, who was the third bowler, and the second spinner, got 37 wickets during the season. Mark Harrity was the only other bowler who got more than 10 wickets with 21 during the season.

In the current squad, three bowlers already have 10 wickets, with another two not far behind with seven and nine respectively.

Leading the charge is Gary Putland, who has already secured 11 wickets in just two games of cricket. If he remains fit, he will become the third spearhead in the line-up.

Fellow quick Joe Mennie has 11 wickets after five matches, with Kane Richardson on 10 wickets after three matches this season.

Trent Lawford, who has impressed in his debut season, has nine wickets, with second spinner Adam Zampa on seven.

It is a fantastic headache for Darren Berry and the bowling squad is well suited to all conditions on any pitch.

If it is a spinner’s wicket, Zampa gets a run. If it favours the seamers, Berry can choose four quicks from Putland, Sayers, Richardson, Lawford and Mennie.

The coach even has former test player Peter George if injuries rule others out.

The one thing the 1995/96 squad has over the current squad though is the actual win of the competition.

While the 2013/14 edition are in a fantastic position to repeat what the 1995/96 squad did, nothing is home and hosed yet.

There are still four matches to go and South Australia was in a similar position last year before falling away in the second half of the season.

The positive though is the foundations are there for South Australia to make their first final since the 1995/96 triumph. All the ingredients are there, with the batters and bowlers among the top few in competition for statistics.

For the first time in a long time there is something to celebrate if you are a fan of the South Australian Redbacks. Success looks to be not far away in the longer form of the game for the Croweaters.