Wayne Prior (born 30 September 1952) is a former South Australian cricketer. He never played in the official Australian team, but did play for Australia in World Series Cricket. Born in Salisbury, South Australia, Prior played cricket and Australian rules football as a junior before developing into a tall, rangy right-arm fast bowler, who, on his day, was one of the fastest in Australia. Prior made his first-class debut for South Australia on 1 November 1974 against the touring MCC team at Adelaide Oval, taking 1/60 and 0/18. After a moderately successful debut season, Prior became one of the stand out performers of the 1975–76 Australian cricket season, taking 43 wickets at 19.67, including 6/41 against the touring West Indian team and match figures of 10/168 against New South Wales, including a hat trick. Prior's bowling was a key element in South Australia winning the Sheffield Shield and led to media speculation that he would be included in the Australian Test side against the West Indies. While the large pool of talented fast bowlers available in Australia kept Prior out of the Test team, former English fast bowler Frank Tyson was sufficiently impressed by his performances to confidentially predict that Prior would be a future mainstay of the Australian side. Prior spent the 1976 English cricket season playing English club cricket, as well as stints for the Kent Second XI and DH Robins' XI. His 1976-77 season for South Australia was disappointing in comparison to his previous season, realising only 17 wickets at 43.00, but Prior was still considered as a future Test player. His problem, common to many cricketers of his era, was monetary. With cricket providing little financial compensation, Prior was required to work to earn a living, doing so as a casual labourer with a suburban Adelaide council until South Australian Cricket Association officials organised work for him with an Adelaide car dealer. World Series Cricket Prior's financial situation was still precarious however, and so when he was offered a significant contract to join the new World Series Cricket (WSC) competition (as well as the opportunity to again play under his former captain at South Australia, Ian Chappell), Prior jumped at the opportunity. Prior played two WSC Super Tests, taking two wickets at 116.00, and eight WSC International Cup matches, taking four wickets at 54.00. While Prior's bowling statistics were poor, teammates were impressed with his attitude