Redbacks call on Christian to boost batting

South Australia have called on the former New South Wales batsman Daniel Christian in a bid to shore up their batting and he is expected to play in the next match. Christian, 24, was out of contract after New South Wales surprisingly chose not to offer him a deal for this season, although he played every one-dayer and Twenty20 match last season.

His move to Adelaide will boost the Redbacks' struggling top order. The side has lost all three of its Pura Cup matches, and won just one of its FR Cup matches this year, against New South Wales where the batsmen squeezed a last-ball victory.

Rod Marsh, SACA's high performance manager, told Cricinfo that he hopes Christian's arrival can begin a turnaround for South Australia. "I'm very excited about it. He's a lovely young man and I think he's got a lot to offer South Australian cricket," Marsh said. "He's a kid with good talent, he's been a very good junior player.

"He was at the Academy with Callum Ferguson and Shaun Tait and I think he will fit in very well. I think he's a bit unlucky not to be in the New South Wales contract list, they just couldn't fit him in.

"I've had my eye on him for a couple of years now. He offers a bit of everything. He can bat anywhere in the top seven or eight. He bowls quicker than a lot of people give him credit for. So, without being too harsh, I think that we can do with a player of that quality in the squad. We've got to start getting a winning culture happening."

Christian had a promising first season in the FR Cup last year, finishing the limited-overs season with 256 runs, second only to Brad Haddin for New South Wales. "[I've] just come down here to work on my own game and hopefully get some runs on the board and perform well," Christian told AAP. "I dive around the field and things like that and just try to enjoy it as much as I can."

A member of the victorious Australia Under-19 World Cup-winning squad in 2001-02, alongside new team-mate Mark Cosgrove, he also offers sharp bowling and was an Academy graduate in 2003. But it's his batting that is badly needed with several Redbacks batsmen either injured or out of form.

"It puts more pressure on those playing to make sure they play well," Marsh said. "All good cricket teams have pressure put on them by those outside the team. Look at the Australian team. As a batsman you wouldn't want to fail with [Simon] Katich playing so well. [Nathan] Bracken's taking wickets, Tait is coming back from injury. As a consequence you see Mitchell Johnson bowling well on debut."

Although Christian has not been signed to South Australia's contract list, Marsh said he could soon feature in first-class games as well as one-dayers. Christian has not yet chosen a club to play for but is expected to do so by this Sunday to give him a run ahead of the Redbacks' next game, which is against Western Australia next Wednesday.

Marsh doesn't rule out chasing other players to boost South Australia's stocks either. "We are always on the lookout for good cricketers and it's always been a firm belief of mine that you want the best 66 players in the premier competition," he said. "South Australia over the years have had a history of recruiting some outstanding players - Bradman, Sobers, Gibbs, Garner - some not as good. If we have to go outside the state, then we have to go outside the state."