IMPARJA CUP
Indigenous cricket in Australia culminates each year with the Imparja Cup Tournament held in Alice Springs annually each February. Each State and Territory enters a men’s team and a women’s team competition is expanding each year. the tournament is televised on the Fox Sports channel. This year (2011) was the fiest year that ACT entered a women’s team. The Lord’s Taverners ACT are the major sponsors of the ACT teams. Team members are drawn from the ACT and also the Riverena and other Western NSW areas. The ACT Taverner are also part of the Lords Taverners Australia support to Indigenous cricket on a national basis
Cricket ACT sent two teams – sponsored by the Lord’s Taverners ACT – to the 2011 Imparja Cup in Alice Springs.
The Imparja Cup showcases Australia’s best talent in Indigenous Cricket from around Australia and has been running annually for the last 18 years.
This year saw a female team from the ACT travel up for the event. The team was captained by current ACT Meteors off spinner Sally Moylan and boasted players from the local Women’s Premier League competition.
ACT 2011 Ladies Imparja Cup Team
The women’s competition is only in its second year and includes teams from NSW and NT.
The men’s team saw the return of talented all rounder Peter O’Callaghan who was Captain of a talented group of cricketers . The Eastlake all rounder was joined by fellow Eastlake fast bowler Danny Tye. Both players toured the UK in 2009 as part of the Australian Indigenous XI, which retraced the steps of the indigenous team which toured in 1868.
The women’s competition was a lot shorter compared to the men’s due to the number of teams entering. The Sally Moylan led team played four Twenty20 matches followed by the final.
Players from all State and Territory teams also visited schools in the Alice Spring’s region conducting cricket super clinics for indigenous school children in conjunction with ACA players including former stars of the game Merv Hughes and Greg Matthews.
ACT Meteors spin bowler Sally Moylan took out the Female Indigenous Player of the Imparja Cup Tournament .
Moylan who is a talented spin bowler starred with the bat for the ACT women’s team scoring an amazing 237 runs from five matches. The right hander finished the tournament with an average of 79.00 and had a highest score of 64 not out against Northern Territory.
The ACT female team displayed some wonderful skills throughout the tournament and were rewarded with a grand final spot against NSW. Unfortunately for the ACT they were eventually beaten in the final against NSW.
Meanwhile, the ACT’s Ryan Donovan was named in the Black Caps Honour Squad for the best performing players in the men’s division of the Imparja Cup.
Women’s Team
Lindsay Stanford, Sally Moylan, Jodie Knight, Jacinta Williams, Fiona White, Kate O’Sullivan, Lavinia Faville, Febi Mansell, Hannah Stanley, Esma Livermore, Lateisha Livermore and Courtney Livermore.
Men’s Team
Wendall Zwiers, Brendan Collins, Nicholas Frail (Vice Captain), Jesse Hampton, Peter O’Callaghan (Captain), Ryan Donovan, Carey Austin, Mitchell Taylor-Briscoe, Craig Williams, Tim Sundar, Danny Tye and Peter Williams.