| Full name | West Torrens District Cricket Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Eagles |
| Strip | (Navy) Blue and Gold |
| Founded | 1897 |
| Sport | Cricket |
| League | South Australian Cricket Association |
| Ground | Henley Oval |
| Club song | The Road to Henley Beach |
| President | Denis Brien |
| Coach | Scott Jones |
| Captain | Callum Ferguson/Trent Kelly (VC) |
The West Torrens District Cricket Club ("Western Eagles") is a semi-professional cricket club in Adelaide, South Australia. It competes in the West End Grade Cricket Competition, which is administered by the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA).
The Western Eagles field four senior teams and nine junior teams and are based at Henley & Grange Memorial Oval. Other grounds used by the club include Henley High School, Jubilee Oval and Lockleys North PS.
The club has won 13 A grade premierships [1] with the last being in 2006/07, breaking a 45 year premiership drought. The Eagles have also won 4 West End Cup (One Day) Premierships (1971/72, 1972/73, 1993/94 and 2003/04). During the past 5 years the club has become one of the strongest in the South Australian Grade Cricket League, winning lower grade premierships in 1995/96, 2002/03 & 2007/08 (B Grade), 2003/04, 2004/05 & 2006/07 (C Grade) and winning the SACA Club Championship in 2004/05 and 2006/07.
The club currently boasts a wealth of young talent including West End Redbacks State Squad & 2nd XI squad members Peter George, Callum Ferguson Aiden Blizzard and James Smith. Season 2011/12 has also seen the addition of former Victorian keeper and Adelaide Strikers contract holder Adam Crosthwaite and former Australian Test spinner Daniel Cullen.
The Club began in 1862 as the Hindmarsh Cricket Club with its headquarters at Lindsay Circus (now Hindmarsh Stadium) and has continued, with only a change of name in 1897, until the present day, making it the oldest cricket club in South Australia.
The club moved to Thebarton Oval in 1921 where it remained until 1988 when it transferred to the adjacent King's Reserve. A lack of junior players and inadequate facilities saw a final move to the Henley and Grange Memorial Oval for the 1997-98 season.
Many famous names have worn the blue and gold cap. Affie Jarvis, Jack O'Connor, Ron Hamence, Bruce Dooland, Graham Hole, David Hookes and Ian Chappell played Test cricket for Australia while West Torrens players. Merv Waite (Australia), Jeff Crowe (New Zealand), Gladstone Small (England) and Jason Gallian (England) played Test cricket soon after leaving West Torrens. Matthew Elliott also represented Australia before playing 2 seasons for the Eagles after transferring from the Victorian Bushrangers to the West End Redbacks .
Rick Darling, Rod McCurdy and Bradley Young have been Australian one day international representatives and Charlie Walker, Phil Ridings were members of Australian touring teams.[2]
Former player and club coach Tim Nielsen is former coach of the Australian Cricket Team. Current club captain Callum Ferguson has represented Australia and South Australia. Vice captain Trent Kelly represented both West End Redbacks and the Western Warriors.