He is a wicket-keeper and aggressive right-handed batsman who has taken more dismissals than any other South Australian player in One Day domestic cricket.

[2] Manou was a successful junior cricketer, who won the Player of the Tournament award when captaining South Australia at the 1997–98 national under-19 carnival.

[citation needed] He made his first-class debut on 22 March 1999 playing for the Australian Cricket Academy against a Matabeleland Invitational XI at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

[5][6] In 2004–05, Manou was appointed vice-captain of the Redbacks and when Darren Lehmann was either on national duty or injured he would be the stand in captain.

His fine season was capped off with the honour of being selected as the vice captain for the Domestic Sheffield Shield, One Day and Twenty-20 teams of the year.