News

South Australia name contract list

Wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman and opening batsman Sam Raphael have lost their South Australia contracts, along with rookies Wes Agar and Alex Gregory

Wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen has been handed a full South Australia contract  •  Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen has been handed a full South Australia contract  •  Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman and opening batsman Sam Raphael have lost their South Australia contracts, along with rookies Wes Agar and Alex Gregory. The Redbacks have named their list of contracted players for the 2017-18 season, with fast bowler Nick Winter handed a deal and rookies John Dalton and Harry Nielsen upgraded to full contracts.
Experienced batsman Tom Cooper, allrounder Cameron Valente and fast bowler David Grant have also retained their contracts after being upgraded during 2016-17 by playing enough one-day and first-class games.
Six new rookies have been named: fast bowler Spencer Johnson, legspinner Lloyd Pope, allrounder Daniel Drew, offspinner Michael Cormack, opening batsman Jake Winter and allrounder Ben Pengelley.
Ludeman, who had spent several seasons as South Australia's first-choice gloveman, was overlooked this season following the emergence of Alex Carey, who kept wickets in every Sheffield Shield game last summer and was a prolific contributor with both bat and gloves.
The second wicketkeeper in the squad is Nielsen, 22, whose father Tim Nielsen is a former South Australia wicketkeeper and coach of Australia. Tim Nielsen is now South Australia's general manager of high performance, and he said the promotion of both Travis Head and Adam Zampa to Cricket Australia contracts had allowed the state to invest in youth.
"We are delighted with the promotion of both Head and Zampa to the CA contract list," Nielsen said. "This is a great reward for them individually, and the program as a whole. Additionally, this gives us the room to reward consistent performers in our List A and first-class teams, as well as continually promote and develop our best young talent in South Australia."
South Australia squad Tom Andrews, Nick Benton, Alex Carey, Tom Cooper, John Dalton, Callum Ferguson, David Grant, Travis Head (Cricket Australia contract), Jake Lehmann, Joe Mennie, Harry Nielsen, Patrick Page, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross, Chadd Sayers, Kelvin Smith, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Nick Winter, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa (CA). Rookies Michael Cormack, Daniel Drew, Spencer Johnson, Lloyd Pope, Ben Pengelley, Jake Winter.