Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers came together for the First Nations T20 Cup on Wednesday, February 26 at Blacktown International Sports Park, celebrating cricket, culture and community in a special event sponsored by Homestar Finance.
Thunder Women triumph in First Nations T20 Cup
Thunder women dominated, chasing down the Sixers’ 4/87 in just 11 overs, with Callee Black (Wiradjuri) starring with a rapid innings of 50* runs off 26 balls.
Captain Julie Muir (Wiradjuri) shared her gratitude and excitement for the opportunity.
“Today’s experience was fantastic, getting to see the young ones coming through, the next generation.
“[Events like this are] important. Getting cricket out to Indigenous communities and letting the kids know cricket is a fun game. You can go places with it. You can come to the city, play cricket, get a good education and good job.”
The Thunder men’s squad fell just short in their chase of 107, finishing six runs behind at 7/101 after 20 overs.
Despite the narrow loss, Thunder men's captain Marty Jeffrey (Tubba-Gah Wiradjuri) was grateful for the opportunity to be part of the day.
“It’s been an awesome day for all Aboriginal cricketers in New South Wales.
“I think these types of initiatives are really important for our young ones. It provides an opportunity for Aboriginal kids from all over the state to put their hand up and put their name in front of selectors and see a pathway for them to play cricket in Sydney or in the NSW Indigenous team.
“Today was really special to me and my connection to cricket and community. I played in something similar to this when I was 14 or 15, and was lucky to be provided opportunities off the back of it.
“It’s sort of full circle to come back around and lead the team and younger guys, so yeah, really privileged and a really special day for me.”
Thunder partnered with Heartbeat of Sport for this event, where over 60 free heart health checks were provided to players and staff.
Heartbeat for Sport is a non-profit dedicated to promoting heart health in sport by raising awareness and preventing cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death in Indigenous communities.
Thunder remain committed to strengthening the connection between First Nations peoples and cricket.
A huge thank you to Homestar Finance for their support in making this event possible.
Full scorecards from the day can be accessed: HERE