Cricket

For more than 85 years it has stood as a symbol of the prettiest cricket ground in the world - the heritage listed Adelaide Oval Scoreboard. G'Day I'm Keith Conlon and with spring now in the air and the footballs now packed away, the cricket season begins next weekend and with it the sound of summer. We're lucky living in this state that we have a venue that is genuinely loved by cricket followers in not only this country but also England, the Caribbean, Sub Continent and South Africa. Today we're going to take a look around the oval and in particular the cricketers who have been immortalised here and although many of them were brilliant at Test level - we are going to look at their achievements for South Australia. There's no better starting place than the grandstands. George Giffen was known as the "W.G.Grace of Australia" because he was a charismatic and talented all-rounder. He also had endurance - as a 44 year old he made 81 & 97 not out against the Victorians as well as taking 15 for 185. He was the first Australian to score more than 10,000 first class runs and take over 1000 wickets. They said Clem Hill had an ugly wide stance when he batted but that didn't stop him scoring 365 not out against New South Wales here in 1901. He scored more than 17-thousand first class runs - including 45 centuries.

His aggression wasn't only on the pitch and it's said that he lost the Australian captaincy after a brawl with one of the selectors. Clem Hill's record of Sheffield Shield runs for South Australia was only beaten by Sir Donald Bradman. There's been plenty said about the Don in this his 90th year - one quote that demonstrated his domination is from England bowler Jim Laker who said "As I ran up, Bradman seemed to already know what I was going to bowl, where the ball was going and how many runs he was going to score." All cricket historians know the Don's great number 99.94 - his test batting average. Well how about this for one - 112.97 - that was his average for South Australia and if anyone remembers the 1935-36 Shield season, then you may remember the Don making his highest score for the state here against Tasmania - 369 he made. Victor York Richardson played cricket for South Australia for 17 seasons and although some critics thought he had an unorthodox batting style - he was certainly effective. He played 104 times for his state and in the 1924-25 season he cracked a century in both Innings against New South Wales. However possibly his greatest feat was in a game against the touring English team in 1928/29 when the demon english fast bowler Harold Larwood bounced one in short and Richardson stepped inside it and hooked him into the grandstand. The Victor Richardson Gates were unveiled at the Adelaide Oval in 1967 and the sculpture by John Dowie gives a bit more insight into this great man. In addition to a magnificent cricket career - he captained Sturt at football during the winter - played baseball for both SA and Australia. He also represented South Australia at golf and tennis and was said to be handy at swimming, basketball and lacrosse - he was awarded the Jessie Helms as Australia's greatest athlete. Many will also remember him as a radio commentator for the ABC after his retirement in partnership with Arthur Gilligan.

And after all that many also believe his greatest legacy to South Australian sport was his grandsons - the Chappell brothers. Their grandfather had been captain of Australia and in his backyard at Westbourne Park he taught them how to play the game of cricket. They followed in his footsteps and history shows them as two of Australia's greatest leaders - Ian and Greg Chappell. When Ian Chappell made his first class debut for South Australia in the early 60s the former test player Jack Fingleton described him as "a rare fighter even if he sometimes twists his feet into agitated knots".

In contrast Greg was "tall, slender and graceful". And this is the Chappell room at the Adelaide Oval which celebrates three brothers who went from Prince Alfred College to the world stage. They've all had their share of controversy - Ian shocked the establishment in 1972 when he appeared on the players balcony at Lords wearing a purple jumpsuit Š and is there a more notorious ball that the one Greg told Trevor to bowl against New Zealand at the MCG - to our knowledge none of the Chappells ever bowled underarm while playing for South Australia. It has to be said that Trevor played his best cricket for New South Wales and Greg was lured to Queensland at the height of his powers. But Ian was a loyal servant of South Australia. He had an average of 52, scored 26 centuries including an unbeaten 200 against Queensland in 1964 (not forgetting 80 wickets). As his International career drew to a close Ian groomed Greg in the captaincy of his country. After Greg took over, Ian returned to Adelaide for one more season for South Australia - and he led his state to a Sheffield Shield title. Now of course Greg is back in Adelaide as coach of the redbacks - let's hope some of the Chappell magic rubs off. His nickname was "Scarlet" as in "the scarlet pimpernal" - because his enemies sought him here and sought him there - without much result. Before there was Shane Warne or Terry Jenner or Richie Benaud there was the legspinner Clarrie Grimmett. His record with the ball led his biographer Ashley Mallett to call him "The Bradman of Spin".

The Clarrie Grimmett Gates are at the northern end of the Adelaide Oval and this rocky tribute to him is just inside the member's entrance. Grimmett remains South Australia's greatest wicket taker - 668 times the umpire raised the finger in his favour - and that put Clarrie more than 250 wickets ahead of the next bowler - George Giffen. In one game against Queensland in 1934 he took 16 of the 20 match wickets. But one thing than distinguishes Clarrie from most other players is his age.

Although he was 20 years old when he first played shield cricket - he was 34 before he played for Australia Š but he was far from the twilight of his career he played 37 tests and Grimmett kept playing for South Australia until he was 49 years and 66 days old - a first class career that lasted 29 seasons. When you come to the cricket next you may come through the newly named Ridings Gates which are the Southern Gates off Memorial Drive. Phil Ridings known as "Pancho" was a stylish middle order batsman who scored nine centuries for South Australia in the post war era Š he also was been an administrator for more than four decades. Sadly South Australia lost this veteran only weeks ago. However I wonder who might be next to have a permanent memorial erected here? What about the great captain of the 50s and 60s Les Favell who played 19 seasons for SA.

Or John Inverarity who set the record for the most runs ever by a Sheffield Shield player - that record was broken by another candidate David Hookes or even the man who has since broken that record Jamie Siddons. Make sure you stop and admire some of these memorials when you next come to the cricket - or visit the museum in the Bradman stand. It all starts again next weekend with a one-dayer against Western Australia. For more information you can email info@postcards.sa.com.au