The Cricketer Magazine – June 2018

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Warren Litt

Le/Getty

ima

Ges

‘King Cole’ and

friends honoured

Philip Barker reports as Australia
Aboriginal XIs returned to England
to mark 150 years since the landmark
Aboriginal cricket team

the visit of australia’s indigenous teams to
mark the 150th anniversary of the first tour
by an aboriginal side was always destined
to be about more than just cricket.
those pioneer tourists were three
months at sea on the wool ship Paramatta
before a 47-match schedule from may to
October 1868.
“that group of guys came over in the
bottom of a boat. they were the first
team to leave australian shores and play
sport internationally,” said Dan Christian,
captaining australia’s 2018 indigenous Xi,
before going on to lead nottinghamshire
in the Vitality Blast.
“We’ve got a fair bit to live up to. it is a
huge part of our culture. We are very big
on representing your people, your ‘mob’,
back home.”
each player’s shirt was designed by
‘aunty’ Fiona Clarke, a descendant of 1868
player Grongarrong, known as ‘mosquito’.
every shirt bears the name of one of the
original tourists. matches were preceded
by a ‘silk’ ceremony, a greeting from the
visitors, and the middle stump for each
match bore indigenous decoration.
the 2018 tour reflected the original
programme in miniature, with matches
at the Oval – where the aboriginal team
played their first game – Hove, trent
Bridge and Derby. With the backing of
Cricket australia, a women’s team also
made the trip, captained by World Cup
and Big Bash star ashleigh Gardner.
“this is such a special moment in my
career, retracing the footsteps of what
they did in 1868, and being the first ever
female team, being pioneers for the next
150 years to come. Hopefully they’ll be
wearing our names on their shirts,” said
Gardner. “We have not had the exposure
in past years, but in the next five or
10 years there’ll be numerous players
wearing the green and gold.”
the players visited Lord’s to see an
exhibition of throwing sticks which
formed part of a display of ‘australian

sports’ performed after each match by

the aboriginals in 1868 (the 20-year-

old WG Grace narrowly beat them in

a cricket ball-throwing contest), and a

scorebook from when mCC beat the

team by 55 runs at Lord’s. that result was

reversed this time by the aboriginal men’s

Xi in the two t20 encounters at arundel

Castle which opened the 2018 tour.

there were also wins for the aboriginals

over a surrey Championship Xi at the

Oval, Derbyshire, nottinghamshire, and a

solitary defeat by a virtually full-strength

sussex at Hove.

indigenous athletes used to prefer

rugby league or australian rules. But

the introduction of the imparja Cup

indigenous Cricket Festival in the early

1990s has provided a route to the big

time. the aboriginal squad were forced

into a late change after new australia

head coach Justin Langer called up

D’arcy short for the full australia squad

in the one-day series in england.

“there was a lack of role models

but we are on the right pathway now,”

said Christian.

the Big Bash is set to follow rugby

league and australian rules with an

indigenous round in the tournament.

Christian said: “they do it really, really

well, the teams wear indigenous jumpers

and celebrate their own indigenous

players. Hopefully the Big Bash can go

down that path and really give the kids

something to aspire to.”

the teams also gathered at meath

Gardens, Bethnal Green, to pay tribute

to “a mate who did not come home” in

1868. Brimpunyarrimin or ‘King Cole’
      died from a combination of pneumonia
      and tuberculosis. a new memorial now
      stands near a eucalyptus tree planted in
      his memory.

Team mentor Pete Cooley composed

verses for the occasion:

His name was King Cole, mighty man,

From a resilient mob and a

proud clan,

With the slash of the willow,

And the diving catch,

He tried his best to win

every match

With bat and ball

and stumps and

wicket,

You are forever the

spirit of cricket,

We pledge at this

moment your

beautiful history

Will no longer remain an

invisible mystery.

Above

Brynley Richards

hits to leg in the

win at Arundel

Club | CriCket life

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