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Stumps at women's Imparja Cup games symbolise players and their culture

04 February 2020
Culture and Capability
Two women stand either side of a rock slab sculpture with Indigenous designs in front of which are three cricket stumps coloured pink and decorated with colourful Indigenous designs. The woman on the left wears dark trousers and a grey and brown shirt.

Specially painted cricket stumps are greeting women cricketers at the Imparja Cup in Alice Springs.

The Imparja Cup Cricket Carnival is held in Alice Springs each year in February.

This year, players in the Women’s Community competition, enter the playing field past a set of pink stumps painted with Indigenous designs.

The stumps were the idea of long-time supporter of women’s cricket, Chrissy Ponter.

Chrissy asked Indigenous artist Emma Stubbs to design the stumps.

Emma is a descendant of the Yankunitjatjara, Arabana, Adyamathana People and raised in Tupul Homeland/Outstation near the remote community of Amata on the APY (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Tankunytjatjara) lands in South Australia.

‘The blue and while semi-circle design at the top represents the many different tribes/cultures/communities gathering together,’ Emma said.

‘The three circles represent the meeting places (ovals) where cricket is played.

The yellow ‘U’ shape around the circles are the men and women who come to play cricket.

The three blue and white stripes are the river bed that give the image of connection to country, a reminder that we are connected through our ancestors, land, water and spirit.’

Emma paints her interpretations of the landscape and places she has visited with her family from her childhood.

On this occasion she has brought her skills and interpretation to bear on this important annual competition for Indigenous women cricketers of the Northern Territory.

Find out more

The Imparja Cup continues throughout this week. This fixture showcases Indigenous Cricket by bringing Indigenous cricketers from around the Northern Territory together in a spirit of unity and friendly competition.