Avenue of Honour

Learn more about our SACA Avenue of Honour which pays tributes to legends of the game and South Australia's cricketing icons, both old and new.

This recognition of South Australian cricket is significant for many reasons. It is a celebration of the legends of the game – the men and women who have played for South Australia and Australia over many proud years at Adelaide Oval.

But it is also a celebration of much more – of the many special memories, events and moments in cricketing history – which contribute to Adelaide Oval’s unique place in the hearts of all South Australians.

Naming of the Lyn Fullston Lawns and the SACA Avenue of Honour has been a long and thorough process. While we today name 25 greats of South Australian cricket, along with other significant players who have made headlines here, it is still a work in progress.

There are many more memories to be made, and legends to be idolized and spectacular sporting feats for cricketing fans to embrace each summer.  We trust you enjoy walking through this special area, and are equally proud of the contributions our greats have made throughout SACA’s history.

THE LYN FULLSTON LAWNS

1956-2008

Lyn 'Lefty' Fullston was a multi-talented sportswoman and teacher, who represented Australia in both cricket and netball.  After a 15 year career, she retired as the only female Australian cricketer to take 100 international wickets.

When she retired from playing, Lefty continued to coach and inspire many young South Australians, until she passed away at the age of 52 after a long battle with illness. Her drive and enthusiasm is remembered by naming the garden in her honour.

SACA AVENUE OF HONOUR
Wall of Fame

Karen Rolton

A left-handed batter and occasional left-arm medium-paced bowler, Rolton holds the record for the most runs for Australia in women's Test cricket. She has twice won the Australian International Woman Cricketer of the Year award in consecutive years, in 2002 and 2003 and then in 2005 and 2006. She scored 107 in the final of the Women's Cricket World Cup in 2005, and was named as "player of the match". She was the International Cricket Council's inaugural Female Player of the Year in 2006. She also holds the highest score in Women's Twenty20 cricket with an unbeaten 96, as well as the highest individual Test score – 209 not out at Headingley England in 2001. Rolton finished her career in 2009 with 14 Test, 141 One Day Internationals and 15 T20 International appearances, as well as 369 games for South Australia.

Shelley Nitschke

Nitschke retired in 2011 ranked as the ICC’s leading all-rounder. She played six Tests, 80 ODIs and 36 International T20s in a glittering international career. Marking her senior debut in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) for South Australia at the relatively old age of 24 in 2000–01, Nitschke started as a specialist bat but then emerged as a bowling all-rounder for much of her career. A true legend of the game, she was named as the ICC Women's International Cricketer of the Year in 2010 and was also Australian Women's International Player of the Year for four consecutive years 2009-10-11-12. Nitschke tasted team success as part of the teams that won the 2005 World Cup and 2010 World Twenty20 title. After her international retirement, she played one last season with the Scorpions to help mentor younger players.

Joanne Broadbent

A left-handed batter and left-arm medium pace bowler, Broadbent played 10 Test matches for Australia between 1990 and 1998, scoring 437 runs, highlighted by a 200 against England in August 1998. She also played 60 One Day Internationals for Australia, scoring 993 runs with an average in the mid-twenties.  She took her best ODI bowling figures of 5 for 10 against New Zealand in 1993. She represented South Australia during the 1990s, before going into coaching roles.

Faith Thomas (née Coulthard)

A talented all-round sports star, Thomas excelled at both cricket and hockey, representing South Australia in both, and Australia at cricket. Born in regional SA, she moved to Adelaide in 1957 to begin her nursing career.  After being introduced to cricket by a colleague at Royal Adelaide Hospital, she soon made the state women's team, after playing just two games of grade cricket. In 1958 she was selected for the Australian national team. She played her only international match against England in February 1958, and was the first Aboriginal player (male or female) to represent Australia.

GREAT SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS

George Giffen
31 Tests, 1238 runs, 23.35 avg, 103 wickets, 27.09 avg.
The world’s greatest all-rounder at the end of the 19th century, South Australia’s first Test cricketer and Test captain.

Joe Darling
34 Tests, 1657 runs, 28.56 avg.
First batsman to score three centuries in a Test series, captained Australia on three Ashes tours of England recording series wins in 1899 and 1902.

Ernest Jones

19 Tests, 64 wicket, 29.02 avg.

Australia’s first genuine fast bowler tended to be over bowled by Darling for South Australia which cut short his Test career. Nevertheless, he represented Australia from 1894 to 1902. If he played today he would record 80 Tests in the same period and take around 300 wickets.

Clem Hill

49 Tests, 3412 runs, 39.21 avg.

The world’s highest run scorer in Test cricket at the time of his retirement in 1912 and the world’s best left-hand batsman before the Second World War.

Clarrie Grimmett

37 Tests, 216 wickets, 24.22 avg.

Record-breaking leg-spinner who was the world’s leading Test wicket-taker from 1936 until the mid-1950s. Captured 44 wickets at 14.59 in his final series in South Africa, the best-ever series aggregate for Australia.

Sir Donald Bradman

52 Tests, 6996 runs, 99.94 avg.

Played 24 Tests after moving to South Australia and maintained his brilliant batting record. Also captained Australia to winning Ashes series in 1936-37, 1946-47 and 1948 as well as drawing the 1938 series.

Ashley Mallett

38 Tests, 132 wickets, 29.84 avg.

Attacking off-spinner who reached 100 Test wickets in 23 Tests and in the early 1970s was among the best of his craft in world cricket.

Gil Langley

26 Tests, 83 catches, 15 stumpings

First-choice wicket-keeper for Australia from 1951 to 1956. While South Australia has also had fine keepers such as ‘Affie’ Jarvis and Barry Jarman, both were reserves to Jack Blackham and Wally Grout for most of their careers.

Neil Hawke

27 Tests, 91 wickets, 29.41 avg.

Medium-pace bowler who in the mid-1960s was as good as any in world cricket.

Ian Chappell

75 Tests, 5345 runs, 42.42 avg.

Leading batsman of the 1960s and 1970s and inspirational Test captain from 1971 to 1975.

Greg Chappell

87 Tests, 7110 runs, 53.86 avg.

Leading Australian Test run-scorer at the time of his retirement in 1984 and arguably the best Australian batsman since the Second World War.

Rodney Hogg

38 Tests, 123 wickets, 28.24 avg.

Fast bowler who made a sensational Test debut in the 1978-79 Ashes series against England with 41 wickets at 12.85 in the six match series.

Jason Gillespie

71 Tests, 259 wickets, 26.13 avg.

97 ODI matches, 142 wickets, 25.42 avg. 

Intelligent fast bowler whose career was marred by injury early in his career but subsequently formed a wonderful opening bowling partnership with Glenn McGrath.

Greg Blewett

46 Tests, 2552 runs, 34.02 avg.

32 ODI matches, 551 runs, 20.40 avg.

Middle order and opening batsman who made a brilliant start to his Test career. The only player to make three centuries in his first three Ashes Tests. 

Darren Lehmann

27 Tests, 1798 runs, 44.95 avg.

117 ODI matches, 3078 runs, 38.96 avg. 

Resourceful batsman who had to battle hard for Australian selection and should have played 127 Tests instead of 27. 

Tim May

24 Tests, 75 wickets, 34.74 avg.

47 ODI matches, 39 wickets, 45.43 avg. 

An off-spinner who played a key role in the 1992-93 fourth Test against the West Indies at Adelaide Oval, when he picked up career-best figures of 5 for 9 off 6.5 overs, and then shared in a 40-run last-wicket stand with Craig McDermott to try to save the match.

Wayne Phillips

27 Tests, 1484 runs

The dynamic left-handed batsman was a classy wicket-keeper, representing SA and Australia during his 13 year career. Phillips was the 14th Australian to make a Test century on debut.

Lyn Fullston

12 Tests, 41 Test wickets

41 ODI matches, 73 ODI wickets

Talented across many sports, Fullston made a significant contribution to womens’ cricket in South Australia over more than two decades.

Barry Jarman

19 Tests, 50 catches

191 first-class matches, 560 dismissals, including 134 stumpings.

Burly wicket-keeper who spent much of his career in the shadow of the great Wally Grout. He captained Australia for one Test match in 1968. 

Karen Rolton

14 Tests, 141 ODI matches

15 T20 Internationals

Four times named as Australian International Woman Cricketer of the Year, Rolton holds the record for the most runs for Australia in women's Test cricket.

GREAT CRICKETING MOMENTS AT ADELAIDE OVAL

Closest Test finish 1993

Australia v West Indies, 1993

West Indies won by 1 run

Low scoring game in which the pendulum swung from one side to the other roughly each half hour of the match. Finally Tim May and Craig McDermott were on the verge of bringing Australia to victory when Courtney Walsh dismissed McDermott caught behind from a short-pitched ball.

Shane Warne 2006

Australia v England, 2006

Australia won by 6 wickets

A game that appeared to be a certain draw after both sides topped 500 runs in their first innings. Ricky Ponting (142) and Michael Clarke (124) challenged the visitors, with Englishman Matthew Hoggard (7 for 109) the only bowler to make an impact – until Shane Warne swung into action on the last day with a magical 4 for 49 off 32 overs.

Mitchell Johnson 2013

Australia v England, 2013

Australia won by 218 runs

In a classic display of raw fast bowling, Mitchell Johnson ripped through the English line-up, claiming 7 for 40 on day three. His man of the match performance included a blistering spell of 6 for 16 in 26 balls, leaving the English batsmen stunned at his 150km/h missiles.

Michael Clarke 2012

Australia v South Africa, 2012

Michael Clarke celebrated reaching his century during day two of the Second Test Match between Australia and South Africa on 22 November 2012. Clarke finished the first day in Adelaide on 224 not out, making him the first player to score four double centuries in Tests in a single calendar year.

Bodyline 1933

Australia v England,

January 14, 1933

The match Adelaide will never forget - the infamous Bodyline tour of 1932/33 – when Australian captain Bill Woodfull and then wicket-keeper, Bert Oldfield were felled by fast bowler Harold Larwood. The record crowd of 50,962 threatened to invade the pitch and mounted police were poised to quell any violence.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PROUD

Tim Ludeman

Scored the fastest 50 in BBL history from just 18 balls on 18th December 2014. He finished unbeaten on 92 from 42 balls when the Adelaide Strikers passed the Melbourne Stars’ total of 148 in just 12.3 overs.

Chadd Sayers

Fast bowler Chadd Sayers – a history making hat-trick on 31 October 2014 at Adelaide Oval against Queensland, the first by a South Australian in 39 years.

David Hookes and Wayne Phillips

Additional photographs featuring David Hookes have been added to the David Hookes Terrace Bar, further enhancing the area as a special location for cricket fans, including a historic shot of Hookes and his record-making batting partner Wayne Phillips.

Sheffield Shield winners

Two new team photos – from the 1963/64 and 1995/96 Sheffield Shield winning teams – now feature on the entrance to the Atrium.

Honour boards

New honour board recognising South Australian womens’ cricket now hang proudly in the Atrium area.

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