The first Australian sporting team to tour internationally was a men’s Aboriginal cricket team made up of 13 players.

To commemorate that 1868 tour of the UK, Cricket Australia is sending two cricket squads, women’s and men’s, to the UK for the first 2 weeks of June. Both will play under the banner of the ‘2018 Aboriginal XI.’

Ashleigh Gardner and Dan Christian will lead the respective sides against several of the same counties as the original 1868 tour. The schedule includes matches against Surrey, Sussex, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

‘Being able to represent my culture is really special and all the girls are really excited to do that too,’ Ashleigh said.

‘They all understand this is a big moment in their careers and for me to be able to captain a team that is inexperienced in terms of international tours but one that is ready for that competition is a big moment in my career as well.’

Venues used for fixtures against Surrey, Sussex and Derbyshire will be the same as those used in 1868 including a double-header at The Oval.

In 2018, the 13 male players travelling will proudly represent one of the pioneer players, by displaying their name on the back of their uniform. The female squad will wear their own names on their back, being pioneers as the first female Indigenous team to tour the UK.

The team uniforms incorporate 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.

In addition to the matches, players will engage in activities pre-tour and in the UK to further connect with the significance of the 1868 events as they take over the reigns as story tellers to future generations of Indigenous cricketers.

Congratulations to all the cricketers selected to take part in the tour!

Squads 
2018 Aboriginal XI – Men - Coach – Jeffrey Cook (KAMILAROI)

2018 Aboriginal XI - Women – Coach, Shelley Nitschke