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Sussex men and women to take on Australian Aboriginal sides as part of 150th anniversary tour

10 Apr 2018

Women and men’s Sussex XIs will play matches against Australia’s best indigenous cricketers this summer.

The Sussex teams will take on the men and women’s ‘2018 Aboriginal XI’ in back-to-back T20 games at The 1st Central County Ground on Friday 8th June.

The fixtures are part of a tour commemorate 150 years since an Aboriginal cricket team became the first sporting team from Australia to tour internationally.

The original tour in 1868 saw the Gentleman of Sussex play two matches against the Australian Aboriginals at the Royal Brunswick Ground in Hove, Sussex’s home until the move to the County Ground in 1872.

This year’s anniversary fixtures will take place exactly 150 years after the first of those encounters.

In 1868, 13 Aboriginal players made the trip to the UK. In 2018, the 13 male players travelling will proudly represent one of those pioneers each on tour by displaying their name on the back of their kits. The female squad will wear their own names on their back, being pioneers as the first female Indigenous team to tour the UK.

Gardner, Boland and Clarke in kit

Ashleigh Gardner, Aunty Fiona Clarke and Nick Boland model the tour kit

The kit incorporates the commemorative artwork titled ‘Walkabout Wickets’ which tells the story of both the 1866 Boxing Day match and the 1868 tour. It was designed by Aunty Fiona Clarke who is the great-great-granddaughter of Grongarrong (Mosquito), one of the stars of the 1868 team.

Captained by Ashleigh Gardner and Dan Christian, two strong squads have been assembled for the tour

They include four players who currently or have previously represented Australia – Christian, Gardner, Nick Boland and D’Arcy Short - and a further six players on WBBL, BBL or state contracts during the recently concluded Australian season.

On tour, the teams will visit a temporary display at the MCC Museum at Lords that explores the history of the 1868 tour. The Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM), Exeter is lending Aboriginal artefacts, newly identified from the 1868 cricket tour to the UK, for display at Lord’s throughout the 2018 season.

In 1868, all-rounder Bripumyarrimin (King Cole) tragically passed away in the UK. Both squads will also visit his place of rest in London to pay their respects.

Details of the Sussex teams, start times and spectator arrangements for the matches will be announced in due course.

The games take place the day after the Sussex men play Australia in a floodlit one-day match on Thursday 7th June. A limited number of ticket for that match are still available to buy here.

2018 Aboriginal XI Fixtures:

Aboriginal XI Men

5th June – Aboriginal XI v Marylebone CC @ Arundel Castle

7th June – Aboriginal XI v Surrey @ The Kia Oval

8th June – Aboriginal XI v Sussex @ The 1st Central County Ground

10th June – Aboriginal XI v Derbyshire @ 3aaa County Ground

12th June – Aboriginal XI v Nottinghamshire @ Loughborough

Aboriginal XI Women

7th June – Aboriginal XI v Surrey @ The Kia Oval

8th June – Aboriginal XI v Sussex @ The 1st Central County Ground

10th June – Aboriginal XI v National Cricket Conference @ 3aaa County Ground

12th June – Aboriginal XI v ECB Academy @ Loughborough

2018 Aboriginal XI Squads:

Men's (1868 player represented in brackets): Dan Christian (c) (Unaarrimin/Johnny Mullagh), Nick Boland (Grongarrong/Mosquito), Scott Boland (Yellanach/Johnny Cuzens), Brendan Doggett (Murrumgunarriman/Twopenny), Sam Doggett (Pripumuarraman/Charley Dumas), Damon Egan (Jumgumjenanuke/Dick-A-Dick), Tyran Liddiard (Bullchanach/Bullocky), Jonte Pattison (Brimbunyah/Redcap), Nathan Price (Arrahmunyarrimun/Peter), D’arcy Short (Bonnibarngeet/Tiger), Brendan Smith (Lytejerbillijun/Jim Crow), Rex Strickland (Ballrinjarrimin/Sundown), Dane Ugle (Bripumyarrimin/King Cole). Coach: Jeffrey Cook

Women's: Ashleigh Gardner (c), Jemma Astley, Dharmini Chauhan, Christina Coulson, Hannah Darlington, Sara Darney, Zoe Fleming, Haylee Hoffmeister, Emma Manix-Geeves, Sally Moylan, Natalie Plane, Roxanne Van Veen, Naomi Woods. Coach: Shelley Nitschke

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