All-round Manenti stars on Redbacks debut

Maiden one-day half centuries to Nathan McAndrew and Redbacks debutant Ben Manenti have hauled South Australia out of a dire top-order slump as they started the new season the way they finished the last.

Confidence was high among the Redbacks squad heading into 2022-23 with the thrill of a breakthrough Sheffield Shield victory in the final match of last summer backed up by some strong recruiting during the off-season.

In fact, South Australia named three first-gamers for their season opener, with quicks Harry Conway and Henry Thornton also lining up alongside Manenti.

And after Aussie stars Travis Head (47) and Alex Carey (20) failed to capitalise on promising starts, McAndrew and Manenti kick-started a lower-order rear-guard to lift the Redbacks from a perilous 6-148 to a competitive 8-278 from their 50 overs.

Sent in by Queensland skipper Usman Khawaja in the first match under lights at Allan Border Field following an $18m revamp, South Australia raced out of the blocks courtesy of Head (six fours and a six) and Jake Weatherald (37 off 44).

New recruit Liam Guthrie copped the full force of the assault on debut for the Bulls, with the left-armer conceding 47 runs at 11.75 an over from his four.

But terrific spells from part-time tweaker Matthew Renshaw (2-30) and Australian leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson (2-42) reeled in SA's star-studded top-order as they lost 3-12 through the middle overs.

Head overextended on an attempted sweep and was out stumped to Renshaw, while Carey picked out deep square leg on a slog sweep off Swepson and Jake Lehmann was deceived by a slider from the star leggie.

McAndrew (55 off 42) and Manenti (60 off 45) then mixed power with clever stroke play as they counter-attacked with a 108-run stand from 80 deliveries, which fell just three short of the record seventh wicket partnership for South Australia in List A cricket.

Manenti slammed 13 from Guthrie's third over and 14 from his fourth that McAndrew followed with 13 from Xavier Bartlett's (1-47) next over.

Experienced international quick Michael Neser (1-52) broke the partnership in the 48th over but by that stage the damage was done, with fellow Redbacks debutant Thornton crunching a six over mid-wicket in the final over to set the hosts a difficult chase of just over five and half runs per over.

Off-spinner Manenti was also a standout with the ball for South Australia, capturing the key wicket of Test opener Khawaja (26) and Max Bryant for an exceptional return of 2-37 from his 10 overs.

Sam Truloff, who was in at first drop for just his second List A match with Australian No.3 Marnus Labuschagne absent from the Bulls season opener due to the birth to his first child, got the hosts' reply off to a solid start after the early loss of Sam Heazlett.

But when he fell to McAndrew (1-48) shortly after Khawaja one run shy of a second one-day fifty from as many innings, the Bulls' innings stalled.

Renshaw (43 off 47) tried to get it going again and slammed three glorious on drives in a row to the rope, but was out the following over when he attempted to heave Thornton over the mid-wicket fence.

Thornton (3-55) also claimed Jimmy Peirson (22) and Swepson, while Bartlett was run out by a superb direct hit by Head as the Redbacks scythed through the Bulls middle-order.

Queensland lost 6-46 to crash from 4-171 to 217 all out, handing South Australia a 61-run win to start the season.

Pleasingly for head coach Jason Gillespie, all five Redbacks bowlers took a wicket in an excellent team bowling effort that further proves their new recruits have added much-needed depth to the bowling stocks, with the only downside that the victory margin would have been greater had it not been for 18 wides.

South Australia return to AB Field on Wednesday to take on Tasmania, with Queensland's next Marsh Cup match on Friday against the same opponents.