Boland’s a big hit on debut

CRICKET hopes it had its “Cathy Freeman moment” on Boxing Day as Test debutant Scott Boland raised the roof at the MCG.

An Indigenous athlete inspiring future generations is exactly what cricket needs, because the fact Boland is only the second Aboriginal male to wear the baggy green for Australia in 144 years is an indictment on the game.

Boland was mentioned by senior Wurundjeri elder, Aunty Joy Wandin Murphy, in her Welcome to Country before the match, and the crowd of over 50,000 erupted when Australia’s oldest fast bowling debutant in more than 70 years – a Victorian – took his first Test wicket late in the day.

Cricket Australia realised

five years ago it didn’t even know how many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were registered cricket players in Australia, but it’s hoped Gulidjan man Boland (pictured) can create the opportunity cricket failed to take when Jason Gillespie debuted back in 1996.

“I just get goosebumps thinking about it now,” said Chair of the National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Cricket Advisory Committee, Justin Mohamed.

“In sport you hear of athletes who say they saw Cathy Freeman in 2000 and that’s inspired them to be the next Olympian. Hopefully the six, eight or 10-year-old who’s watching this will say ‘that’s what I want to be’.

“The acknowledgement he got this morning was very good. Any young Aboriginal person seeing that, hopefully they see that and want to step on to the same stage.”

Boland was presented his baggy green cap by fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.

There was a cheer from the crowd when the first Victorian Boxing Day debutant since Tony Dodemaide in the 1987 entered the attack.