History made in Perth as Doggett joins Boland in Ashes team

Brendan Doggett and Scott Boland made history at Optus Stadium in Perth on Friday, becoming the first pair of Indigenous cricketers to play in the same Australian Test XI.

The 31-year-old pacer made his Test debut thanks to the absence of both Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Doggett can trace his heritage to the Worimi tribe of eastern New South Wales.

Before Doggett, four Indigenous people have played Test cricket for Australia; Boland, Jason Gillespie, Ash Garner and the very first, Faith Thomas in 1958.

Thomas, who was born Coulthard, and hailed from Tasmania from the Adnyamathanha tribe, was the first Indigenous woman to represent Australia in any sport.

Amazingly she played her final club game in the 1960s when she was eight months pregnant.

Gillespie is the most-capped with 71. The eldest of three siblings, his mother has Greek heritage. But Gillespie’s father’s side descended from the Kamilaroi Indigenous people.

Current Australia all-rounder Ash Gardner has been more vocal and visible in her support for Indigenous people, having descended from the Muruwari people.

“My culture is my identity, and I’ve always been really proud to give people a greater understanding of what my culture is about – its history, and how amazing and resilient our people are,” she said.

And seam bowler Boland made his debut in 2021, His 6-7 ripped through the tourists at the MCG in the third Ashes Test, and bowled Australia to an innings win.

Since then, he has been the backup to Cummins, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

In 1868, an Aboriginal XI created by Victoria captain Tom Wills, set sail for England.

This was the first representative Australian cricket team to visit another country.

The Indigenous team arrived in England in May 1868, and played 47 matches in all during a gruelling six months in England. They won and lost 14 matches each, and drew 19.