HISTORY OF PROSPECT DISTRICT CRICKET CLUB
The North Adelaide Cricket Club, affiliated with the SACA from 1873/74, was based at the Adelaide Oval. Following the formation of the Electorate (later District) competition in 1897 the club won four A Grade Premierships in the period before WWI.
International cricketers who represented North Adelaide during this period were E. Jones, J.C. Reedman, D.R.A. Gehrs, C.B. Jennings, J.D.F. Pellew and T.W. Wall.
Established in the 1880’s, the Prospect Cricket Club was one of the foundation clubs of the Adelaide and Suburban Cricket Association formed in 1899. During the 26 years of involvement in this association, the club won six premierships and were runner-up five times. The club was the first tenant of the Prospect Recreation Ground (Prospect Oval) from 1898. The club laid two turf pitches and constructed the first simple grandstand (consisting of a shed with a few rows of seats and a storeroom).
Following an initial application in 1922, Prospect Cricket Club was admitted to the SACA B Grade competition in 1924/25 with headquarters at Prospect Oval. In its first season in the SACA competition, the Club finished 2nd to Sturt.
From the mid 1920s, North Adelaide had played occasional games at Prospect Oval, the first A Grade match being against Sturt in November 1926.
Following lengthy discussions beginning in 1926, a revision of the SACA District Cricket bylaws and club boundaries in 1928 resulted in an agreement with the Prospect Council whereby North Adelaide Cricket Club would amalgamate with the Prospect Cricket Club and assume the name of Prospect District Cricket Club.
The new club continued in the SACA A Grade competition with its home ground at Prospect Oval. The first Club captain was former Australian Test player C. E. “Nip” Pellew, who in the inaugural 1928/29 season scored three successive centuries. His 209 not out against Senior Colts stood as the highest score on Prospect Oval until H.W. Brennan made 258 against Northern Districts in 2017/18.
The A Grade team reached the final in their second season in 1929/30 but were soundly beaten by Port Adelaide.
Prospect became the patron club of the hard wicket Prospect District Cricket Association and entered teams in the Adelaide Turf Cricket Association. The first SACA Premiership won by the Club was by the B Grade in 1936/37 under the captaincy of A.E. Cole.
The Club won its first A Grade Premiership in the 1960/61 season. This was the beginning of a golden era at the Club with the A Grade playing in 10 grand finals during the next 12 years, winning a further 6 premierships. The A Grade also experienced success in the short form Gillette Cup competition winning three premierships in the competition that took place from 1967/68 to 1974/75. The club has also experienced many premiership successes in lower grades over the years.
After an initial invitation from Prospect, the great West Indian Test cricketerG.StA. (Garfield) Sobers played for the Club and South Australia during the 1961/62 season. This venture was a huge success and both Prospect and the SACA benefited. Sobers returned for two more seasons with Prospect and South Australia. Overseas players Barry Richards (South Africa) in 1970/71, Younis Ahmed (Pakistan) in 1972/73 and A.L.(Gus) Logie (West Indies) in 1993/94 have also played a season with Prospect.
International cricketers who have represented Prospect are C.E.Pellew, C.W.Walker, T.W.Wall, G.S.Sobers, A.A.Mallett, T.J.Jenner, J.R.Hammond, B.A.Richards, Younis Ahmed, G.J.Cosier, R.M.Hogg, A.K.Zesers, A.L. Logie G.S.Blewett, L.Vincent (NZ), J.E. Root (England) and N.M. Lyon.
More than 50 Prospect players have represented the South Australian State Team.
During the 1997/98 Season, the Prospect won the A Grade West End Cup One-day competition and also the B Grade Premiership. In 2000/2001 the Club was successful in winning the A Grade Premiership, the first for 30 years.
Prospect fielded women’s cricket teams from 2006/07 when a girls team was entered in the SACA Scorpion Shield competition. From 2007/08, a women’s team competed in the C Grade competition, winning the Twenty/20 Cup and the C Grade premiership in 2008/09.
Prospect teams have won the SACA Spirit of Cricket award on three occasions; 2009/10 (Women’s), 2015/16 (Men’s), 2017/18 (Junior Boys). The most recent premiership win was by the U16 White team in 2011/12.
