Celebrating 140 years of Australian touring teams

On the day that the Australian squad are scheduled to arrive in the West Indies ahead of their Test and ODI series’, Australian cricket will celebrate the 140th anniversary of the arrival of it’s first ever touring team, the 1868 Indigenous team.

The 1868 team completed a six month long tour of England and is regarded as the first sporting team to compete under a national Australian banner. In a coincidence of scheduling, 13 May was the date that the 1868 pioneers arrived in England to start their marathon tour, while exactly 140 years later Ricky Ponting’s squad are scheduled to land in Kingston, Jamaica on 13 May (Australian time).

The Australian team will pay tribute to the original Australian touring team by displaying the Aboriginal flag with the Australian flag at its arrival media conference in the West Indies. Cricket Australia and state and territory associations will also fly the Aboriginal flag at their offices or grounds tomorrow in recognition of the anniversary.

The anniversary comes a month after the cream of 2008’s young Indigenous cricket talent gathered at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane for a week long training camp under Australian assistant coach Dene Hills.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting expressed admiration for his 1868 predecessors:

“The story of the 1868 Indigenous Australian side is an amazing one and on the 140th anniversary of their arrival I am pleased that we can help in recognising the team’s pioneering achievements.”

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said that recognising the team on this special anniversary is of great importance to Australian cricket.

“The 1868 Aboriginal tour of England was a watershed event in Australia’s sporting and cricket history,” said Mr Sutherland.

“In recent years, the remarkable and courageous achievements of the 1868 team have become more widely acknowledged and celebrated, and on the 140th anniversary of the tour we would like that history and recognition to continue and strengthen.

“In 2002, Australian cricket was successful in having the team inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. In 2004, individual player numbers were allocated to the touring party as formal recognition of their place in Australian cricket history in a ceremony during the 3 mobile Boxing Day Test.

“While displaying the Aboriginal flag on 13 May is a simple gesture symbolising the significance of our first Australian cricket team, I also hope it gives further pride to Indigenous Australians for their contributions to cricket’s rich history. “

The National Indigenous Development Squad, selected through state association nominations and performances at the annual national all-indigenous cricket competition - the Imparja Cup, was:

National Development Squad
Andrew Blucher (QLD)
Malcolm Dow (VIC)
Kris Halloran (NSW)
Josh Lalor (NSW)
Brad Lovell (TAS)
Callan Morse (TAS)
David Parrington (NT)
Michael Strange (QLD)
Matthew Stopp (SA)
Chris Swain (QLD)
Danny Tye (ACT)
Dane Ugle (WA)
Lewis Upton (WA)
Preston White (QLD)

Progress has already been evident from this squad with left-arm paceman Josh Lalor recently securing a rookie contract with the SpeedBlitz NSW Blues for 2008-09. He joins Worrin Williams and Dan Christian as indigenous players with state contracts.

The 1868 team set sail from Sydney on 8 February 1868, arriving in England on 13 May. It played 47 matches between May and October, winning 14 games, losing 14 and drawing 19.

All-rounder Johnny Mullagh (traditional name Unaarrimin) was the acknowledged champion of the team, scoring 1698 runs and taking 245 wickets on the tour.

The team, including their awarded player numbers, was: