Dizzy’s misfit Redbacks on the rise: South Australia 2023/24 squad preview

The Redbacks’ rebuild finally bore fruit in 2022/23 as Jason Gillespie’s men overcame the odds to find themselves in the one-day cup final with Western Australia.

Despite WA dominating on the day, the fact that the Redbacks were able to come so close to a side held in such high regard within the Australian domestic cricket landscape is a sign that things are finally starting to click.

The rebuild itself however has been unconventional, with a significant portion of South Australia’s squad comprised of interstate recruits who were fringe players in their home states, with the likes of Nathan McSweeney, Nathan McAndrew, Wes Agar, Ben Manenti and Henry Hunt making the most of their opportunities with the Redbacks, with several now regular Australia A representatives.

As they look to capitalise on the momentum of last season and improve their performances in the Sheffield Shield, let’s take a deep dive into South Australia’s squad for the 2023/24 season.

Henry Hunt. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Last Season In Numbers

Sheffield Shield: 4th on ladder (2 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses)

Leading Run-Scorers: Daniel Drew (656 runs at 43.73)
Jake Lehmann (531 runs at 31.23)
Nathan McSweeney (492 runs at 35.14)

Leading Wicket-Takers: Wes Agar (36 wickets at 27.36)
Nathan McAndrew (28 wickets at 30.46)
Ben Manenti (23 wickets at 36.91)

One-Day Cup: 2nd on ladder (4 wins, 3 losses)

Leading Run-Scorers: Henry Hunt (292 runs at 41.71)
Nathan McSweeney (284 runs at 40.57)
Jake Lehmann (238 runs at 47.60)

Leading Wicket-Takers: Henry Thornton (14 wickets at 28.71)
Ben Manenti (11 wickets at 33.45)
Wes Agar (10 wickets at 34.70)

South Australia 2023/24 squad: Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Jake Carder, Alex Carey*, Harry Conway, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Jake Fraser-McGurk, David Grant, Travis Head*, Henry Hunt, Spencer Johnson, Thomas Kelly, Jake Lehmann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney, Ben Manenti, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton, Kelvin Smith. Rookies: Kyle Brazell, Aidan Cahill, Isaac Higgins, Harry Matthias
*Cricket Australia contract

Ins and Outs
Ins: Jake Fraser-McGurk (Victoria), Kelvin Smith
Outs: Jake Weatherald (Tasmania), Bailey Capel, Ryan King, Nick Winter

Alex Carey. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Darwin-born opener Jake Weatherald departed the Redbacks after eight seasons with the move coming on the back of his decision to step away from the game for mental health reasons last December. Despite his exit, South Australia have a ready-made replacement in Kelvin Smith, who broke back into the side last season after years of toiling away in Premier Cricket.

At 29, Smith is no stranger to domestic cricket, having made his Shield debut back in 2013. One of the more intriguing moves of the off-season was Jake Fraser-McGurk’s departure from Victoria, having knocked back a rookie contract from the Vics after previously being fully contracted. The Redbacks were quick to pounce on the 21-year-old, who burst onto the scene at 18, but has since struggled to make the most of his opportunities at the domestic level.

Swing bowler Nick Winter has also departed the squad after falling out of favour in recent years and is joined by Bailey Capel and Ryan King.

Squad Breakdown
Batters: Jake Carder, Daniel Drew, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Jake Lehmann, Nathan McSweeney, Kelvin Smith, Kyle Brazell, Isaac Higgins
Wicket-Keepers: Alex Carey, Harry Nielsen, Harry Matthias
All-Rounders: Nathan McAndrew, Ben Manenti, Liam Scott, Aidan Cahill
Fast Bowlers: Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Harry Conway, Brendan Doggett, David Grant, Spencer Johnson, Henry Thornton
Spinners: Lloyd Pope

Having previously been discussed as a potential replacement for David Warner in Australia’s Test side, Henry Hunt led the way for the Redbacks in the One Day Cup with 292 runs, but was unable to replicate his form in the Sheffield Shield, enduring a frustrating season that saw him average just 25.94 with the bat, having posted 601 runs at 42.93 the season prior.

With Kelvin Smith returning to the fold, South Australia will hope the pair can form a solid partnership at the top of the order. Daniel Drew will be looking to pick up where he left off last season, with the right-hander scoring 656 runs from eight matches, which included an incredible knock of 208* against eventual Shield winners Western Australia.

Former Queenslander Nathan McSweeney had a breakout season, taking home South Australia’s Most Improved Player award after a combined 776-run season that saw him catapulted into the Australia A setup, and was even chosen as a co-captain for the side. Jake Lehmann got his career back on track last season, captaining the side in Travis Head’s absence and becoming a valuable presence in the middle-order in Sheffield Shield and one-day cricket.

Travis Head. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Youngsters Thomas Kelly and Fraser-McGurk will be pushing hard to break into the side, as will Jake Carder, who seemingly faces a make-or-break year, with the 27-year-old managing just 180 runs in six Shield matches last season. Travis Head and Alex Carey will be unavailable for much of the start of the domestic season due to their involvement in the ODI World Cup, with Harry Nielsen once again poised to take the gloves in Carey’s absence.

Although many thought that Harry Conway would be the boom recruit for South Australia last summer, it was Ben Manenti who proved to be arguably the biggest coup, impressing with bat and ball and playing a big role in the success the Redbacks had last season. Having made his Shield and one-day debuts as an uncontracted player for Tasmania in 2021/22, the Sydney-born off-spinner stepped up to become the side’s main spinner last season, and his performances with the bat were so impressive he found himself as high as number six towards the end of last summer.

Fellow import Liam Scott found himself on the fringes last season, but still managed to impress for South Australia’s second XI, scoring 408 runs in five matches, and his versatility should see the 22-year-old all-rounder involved in the domestic set-up again.

The Redbacks have quietly assembled a formidable fast-bowling unit over recent seasons, with the quartet of Wes Agar, Nathan McAndrew, Jordan Buckingham and Spencer Johnson all being selected for the Australia A side in recent times.

The attack was led by Wes Agar last season, with 36 wickets in Shield cricket, while McAndrew also added 28 of his own. Buckingham has certainly flown under the radar, having established himself as a consistent operator at Shield level.

Spencer Johnson. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

The emergence of Johnson last season has taken the Redbacks’ bowling attack to another level, with the menacing left-armer exploding onto the scene, taking 20 wickets in his first four Shield matches and earning selection for Australia’s white-ball tour of South Africa. Johnson also showed enormous faith in the Redbacks after opting to re-sign with the state, knocking back an offer from Queensland.

Gillespie recently suggested his side has the best fast-bowling depth in the country, and with the likes of Brendan Doggett, Conway and David Grant raring to go if and when the opportunity presents itself, it’s hard to argue with him.

Conway’s switch from NSW last season was one of the more high-profile moves last season but struggled to make an impact before eventually being dropped, and will be looking to find form again this summer, while Doggett is a ready-made depth option if called upon. Thornton’s move from Victoria last season went unnoticed by many but proved to be a shrewd piece of business from the Redbacks, with the right-armer going on to finish as his side’s leading wicket-taker in the One-Day Cup.

The Redbacks have also shown faith in leg-spinner Lloyd Pope, who has failed to live up to expectations after rising to prominence in early 2020 following an incredible performance in the under-19 World Cup that saw him destroy England with figures of 8/35. Manenti’s addition saw Pope not make an appearance for South Australia last season, but Gillespie has stated that the Redbacks will continue to persist with him as he develops.

Predicted Sheffield Shield XI

Kelvin Smith
Henry Hunt
Daniel Drew
Nathan McSweeney
Jake Lehmann (c)
Harry Nielsen (wk)
Ben Manenti
Nathan McAndrew
Wes Agar
Spencer Johnson
Jordan Buckingham

Predicted One-Day Cup XI

Kelvin Smith
Henry Hunt
Daniel Drew
Nathan McSweeney
Jake Lehmann (c)
Ben Manenti
Harry Nielsen (wk)
Nathan McAndrew
Wes Agar
Henry Thornton
Spencer Johnson

*Travis Head and Alex Carey excluded due to national team commitments.

How They’ll Go: While the Redbacks will be looking to go from strength to strength in 2023/24, South Australian fans shouldn’t be alarmed if their improvement isn’t reflected on the ladder. The side is shaping up very nicely, and opposition sides will be very wary of them, but they’re perhaps not quite at the level of other states … yet. The Redbacks could be a dark horse, particularly in the Shield, but expect them to finish around the mid-table mark once again.

Shield Prediction: 4th
One-Day Cup Prediction: 3rd