ABO. ATHLETES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 131, 1 December 1930, Page 7

ABO. ATHLETES

, AUSTRALIANS COLOURED .CHAMPIONS

A CRICKET FIND

(From "Tha Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 20th November., lii view of-the-fact that so few of Australia's' aborigines have been, succesßful at sport, the selection by the , Queensland Cricket Association of the aboriginal, Eddie Gilbert, to represent the State in first-class matches, is of particular interest. It may so happen that Gilbert will be a find, for Australia is sadly in need of a really fast bowler; Gilbert is said to bowl so fast that the flight of the ball cannot be seen from the grandstand. He was discovered during country week in Brisbane, when the various country teams are brought to the city for what is really a try-out. Then he was selected to play against the New Soutn Wales colts. So well did he perform on that occasion, taking six good wickets, that he was selected for the first Sheffield Shield match against South Australia. It can fairly Too said that he' did his part towards securing for Queensland its first out-1-ight win in that competition. Gilbert comes from one of the aboriginal stations, Barrambah, from which, during the war, all the able-bodied men enlißted in a body. They were all accepted, and proved to bo a fine body of men. Gilbert is likewise a fine type, ■with fine broad shoulders, and arms fully developed as the result of frequent throwing of the boomerang. Western Queensland also produced the noted boxer, Jerry Jerome. In Melbourne •there is an outstanding example of aboriginal athletes. He is Doug. Nicholls, the star wing man of Association football. He is the only aboriginal playing football in Melbourne, and he is a midget as far as aboriginals go, for lie is only sft Sin high. He is a grcat_ runner, and has won the chief professional running race of Victoria. Years ago there was a famous aboriginal footballer in Adelaide, Harry Hewitt, and he used to play without boots. As far back as 1867 a cricket match was played in Sydney between the Albert Club and an aboriginal team of twelve, which included a white man as the thirteenth nian. This aboriginal team went to England in the following year, and although it was only moderately successful it was an arresting advertisement for Australia. Two members of the team played first-class cricket in Australia on their return. There was another fast bowler, Marsh, who played for New South Wales for somo years. He became quite famous even though his deliveries were frequently questioned, and he was often no-ballod. To confound his critics he bowled on one occasion with his bowling arm in splints. Another notable aboriginal athlete was Charlie Samuels, the Mew; iiputfa IWales professional runneit "