Photo Credit: Sydney Sixers
Men’s and Women’s teams representing the Sydney Sixers and Thunder last week contested the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander T20 Cup
The Aboriginal and Torres Islander T20 Cup was held during NAIDOC week last Thursday and Friday, at Raby Sports Complex, in Campbelltown with the Sydney Sixers and Thunder celebrating and acknowledging the culture.
Results went the way of the Thunder men’s and women’s teams but at all times every player and person involved with the T20 Cup was as one with their culture.
For the first time the Sixers men’s and women’s teams wore jerseys specially designed by Ashleigh Gardner’s cousin Allan Shillingsworth.
Meaning of jersey features:
– The snake is known as Mundagutta (rainbow serpent), which gave the people their laws.
– The circles are the meeting places, and the ‘U’ is the people around them.
– The sections of the snake represent: family, friends and team.
– The hands represent ownership.
The event started with a very special Barefoot Circle and smoking ceremony, on Thursday morning, led by local Dharawal Elder Uncle Ivan Wellington, where every player from each team participated.
The celebration continued with a special cultural performance by local group Koorier Maang and engagement with three local primary schools through cricket skills sessions and traditional artwork.
Those schools were Bringelly Public School, Robert Townson Public School and Blairmount Public School.
Sixers bowler Taylor Ling was a stand-out performer for the tournament with 10 wickets in the women’s competition.
While batsman Brett Russell scored 106 runs for the Sixers Men’s team including a highest score 73.
Click here for full scorecards
Men’s matches
Thursday
Thunder XI 7/131 (James Whiting 53) v Sixers XI 90 (Brett Russell 33, Brayden Wilson 3-17)
Thunder XI 3/148 (Yarran Fair-Townsend 68, Jack McDonald 47) v Sixers 7/120 (Brett Russell 73)
Friday
Thunder XI 4/157 (James Whiting 58) v Sixers XI 100 (Jack McDonald 3-7)
Women’s matches
Thursday
Sixers XI 6/117 (Sally Keeler 26, Naomi Woods 2-20) v Thunder XI 5/119 (Sara Darney 57, Taylor Ling 3-18)
Sixers XI 9/128 (Emily Cross 26 notout, Naomi Woods 2-20) v Thunder XI 7/99 (Sara Darney 26, Naomi Woods 26, Taylor Ling 3-5)
Friday
Thunder XI 113 (Sara Darney 49, Taylor Ling 4-14) v Sixers XI 8/99 (Roxsanne Van Veen 40 not out, Sara Darney 3-20)
Sydney Sixers men’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team
| Name | Tribe/Mob | |
| Brett | Russell | Dunghutti |
| Aaron | Kelly-Parsons | Dunghutti |
| Charlie | Anderson | Gamilaroi |
| Ashley | White | Kamilaroi |
| Trae | Smith | Wongaibon |
| Jaycob | Price | Gomeroi |
| Blake | Small | Kamilaroi |
| Logan | Donovan | Gumbaynggirr |
| Nicholas | Hay | Kamillaroi |
| Raymond | Steadman | Negmba Worimi |
| Jack | Hartigan ( c ) | Gundungurra |
| Braithan | Winsor | Kamilaroi |
Sydney Sixers women’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team
| Name | Tribe/Mob | |
| Amali | McNeill | Wiradjuri |
| Dimity | Parton | Wiradjuri and Yuwaalaraay |
| Naomi | Woods | Kamilaroi |
| Katarina | McEwen | Weilwan |
| Jordan | Cooper | Koori |
| Maddison | Spence | Wiradjuri |
| Sara | Darney | Wiradjuri |
| Julie | Muir ( c ) | Wiradjuri |
| Lauren | Woods | Kamilaroi |
| Callee | Black | Wiradjuri |
| Mackenzie | Keller | Kamilaroi |
Name of Author: Sydney Sixers
The Sydney Sixers are an Australian professional Twenty20 cricket team competing in the Big Bash League (BBL). Based at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Sixers, along with the Sydney Thunder, succeeded the New South Wales Blues from the now-defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.
