Aboriginal Cricketers

All You Need to Know About Aboriginal Cricketers

A globally popular sport, cricket is loved in many countries but more so in some than in others. Besides the UK and India, the sport of cricket is extremely well-loved in Australia. This is evident in the amazing number of skilled players and the support they receive from their large fan base both locally and from abroad.

It, therefore, comes as no surprise that cricket attracts the interest of many people regardless of their race or culture. Because the dynamic of the sport is interesting, not to mention challenging, even aboriginal people become enamoured by it. Contrary to what one may think, cricket is not a recent introduction to the Aboriginal community. Historically, Aboriginal people learned all about it even before today’s Australian population did.

Early Introduction of Cricket to the Aboriginal Population

As early as 1868, the sport known as cricket was already known to Aboriginal people. This is because the sport was brought to the continent by colonizers. With many indigenous individuals working in cattle industries, it was only a matter of time for them to pick up this sporting game from the Englishmen who populated the regional areas.

Their skilful and quick adoption of the game resulted in the creation of the first-ever team of Aboriginal cricket players. This 13 man cricket team was then smuggled out of Australia by former cricket player Charles Lawrence. Their tour which was marketed to them as a profit-generating trip lasted for half a year. The team was made to play two-day matches that totalled 47 cricket games in the course of their tour. Of the matches, the Aboriginal team lost in 19 and came out victorious in 14. Sly Charles not only made the men play in cricket games, but he also had the indigenous people perform sideshow tricks to entertain paying crowds.

Unfortunately for these sportsmen, none of the profits generated by this endeavour lined their pockets as it was only the Englishman who benefited from the apparent exploitation. To make matters worse, these Aboriginal cricketers experienced racism, illness, and even death during their 6-month trip. Even though these mistreated players eventually gained the respect of the cricketing world, not much was heard about them when their tour ended. And when they returned to their native Australia, not a lot continued to play the sport.

Despite the problematic initial introduction of the sport to Aboriginal Australians, it did, however, pave the way for the game to be played widely in the country.

Also See: How to Make a Cricket Pitch?

Well Known Aboriginal Cricket Players

There is no denying that the earlier years of cricket were not ideal nor fair for the Aboriginal players who populated the game. Nonetheless, their amazing athleticism has cemented their names in the history books of cricket. These players both old and new remain paragons for aspiring younger generations. These are the men and women in Aboriginal cricket whose legacies live on.

Faith Thomas

Born in South Australia, Faith Thomas was not only one of the first cricket players, she was also the first female Aboriginal player to represent Australia in this gentleman’s game as well as in any other sport. Faith’s father is of German descent while her mother is an Aboriginal woman who belonged to the Adnyamathanha indigenous group. Before this talented bowler got into cricket, she worked as a nurse for the Royal Adelaide Hospital. It was during her tenure that a work colleague introduced her to the sport. This right-handed batter and bowler played many Test matches for the national team of Australia. Since her debut in 1956, she was the only Aboriginal cricket player up until 2019. Now 88 years old, Faith was also an active hockey player in her younger years.

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