Former Australia batter Ian Redpath has died at the age of 83.
Redpath, who became known as an obdurate opener, played 66 Tests and five ODIs in an international career that ran from 1964 to 1976.
He came close to a century on Test debut against South Africa at the MCG when he was bowled by Joe Partridge for 97. “I hit an off-drive for four and there was another one I thought was in the same spot, and I licked my chops. Beautiful follow-through, it was,” he recalled to Nine newspapers last year.
It was not until February 1969, against West Indies at the SCG, that he made his maiden century with 132 in the second innings against an attack of Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith, Garry Sobers and Lance Gibbs.
Seven more centuries would follow, with a career-best 171 against England at Perth in 1970, and he closed out his Test career with three in four innings against West Indies in 1975-76. On the first of that trio, at the MCG, Wisden wrote: “Although Redpath was at once subjected to plenty of short stuff, he ducked and weaved in his own effective way and went on to complete an important century for Australia and one which underlined the value which he has been to Australia over many years.”
Despite clearly still being good enough, Redpath retired to work full-time for his antique business in Geelong. However, he would be lured back to the game a year later by an offer to play World Series Cricket where he featured for two seasons although missed most of the first one due to injury.
In a piece for the Australian last year, Gideon Haigh wrote: “As there’s precious little footage of Redpath, how to picture him? He was a hard man to dismiss: he knew where his off stump was; he played straight, with a short pick-up, mainly off the back foot; he was a swayer and a ducker of bouncers rather than a hooker in those pre-helmet days. On his Sunicrust cricket card, he was pictured playing a leg glance.”
“As a fine opening batter, Ian was a mainstay of the national team through one of the great eras of Australian cricket and beloved by many throughout the world for his courage, impeccable sportsmanship and wry humour.”
CA Chairman Mike Baird on Ian Redpath
Early in his international career he had been the last Australian to play as an amateur when he turned down his match fee in 1963-64 in order to maintain his amateur Australia Rules Football career.
He was vice-captain to both Ian and Greg Chappell, batting alongside the latter when he brought up a century on debut against England in 1970-71.
“My first innings in Test cricket was, as you might expect, a trying experience, but proved to be one of the best cricket lessons of my career, thanks to Ian Redpath,” Greg Chappell later wrote, “…Fortunately we both succeeded and our partnership put us into a sound position, but from my point of view I had received an invaluable lesson in what Test match batting was all about from one of the most courageous batsmen ever to play for Australia.”
Redpath retains the record of scoring the most runs off an over by Australian: in 1969-70 against Orange Free State he took 32 (four sixes and two fours) off Neil Rosendorff. However, his first six in international cricket did not come until his penultimate Test against West Indies.
In 1975 Redpath was awarded an MBE and would go on to coach Victoria. In January 2023 he was indicted into the Cricket Australia Hall of Fame. In 2024, the Geelong Cricket Club renamed their scoreboard in honour of Redpath.
“Ian was a much loved and revered figure and everyone in Australian cricket will be enormously saddened by his passing,” CA chair Mike Baird said. “As a fine opening batter, Ian was a mainstay of the national team through one of the great eras of Australian cricket and beloved by many throughout the world for his courage, impeccable sportsmanship and wry humour.
“We were privileged to hear Ian speak of the wonderful experiences and relationships cricket had provided upon his induction into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2023 and this deep love of the game was manifest in his enormous contribution to cricket at first-class and community level.
“The thoughts of everyone at Cricket Australia are with Ian’s family and many friends at this sad time.”
Cricket Victoria chair Ross Hepburn echoed those sentiments.
“This is enormously sad news as we farewell one of the greats of our game and a very proud Victorian in Ian Redpath,” Hepburn said. “On behalf of Cricket Victoria, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to Ian’s family, particularly to his four children and many friends and team mates from across a generation of cricket.
“Ian’s talent on the field and leadership saw him contribute to one of the great eras of Australian cricket and he leaves behind a remarkable legacy to the game at national, state and local level.
“‘Redders’, as we affectionately knew him, was a gifted storyteller with a wonderfully wry sense of humour. His friendship and presence will be missed by many in our cricket community.”
