Faith Thomas Explained

Faith Thomas
Country:Australia
Birth Date:22 February 1933
Birth Place:Nepabunna, South Australia
Batting:Right-handed
Bowling:Right-arm fast
Role:Bowler
International:true
Onetest:true
Testdebutdate:21 February
Testdebutyear:1958
Testdebutagainst:England
Club1:South Australia Women's cricket team
Year1:1956–1958
Columns:2
Column1:WTest
Matches1:1
Runs1:3
Bat Avg1:3.00
100S/50S1:0/0
Top Score1:3
Deliveries1:36
Wickets1:0
Bowl Avg1:–
Fivefor1:–
Tenfor1:–
Best Bowling1:–
Catches/Stumpings1:1/–
Column2:WFC
Matches2:7
Runs2:106
Bat Avg2:13.25
100S/50S2:0/0
Top Score2:38
Deliveries2:148
Wickets2:9
Bowl Avg2:23.11
Fivefor2:0
Tenfor2:0
Best Bowling2:4/79
Catches/Stumpings2:1/0
Date:17 April
Year:2023
Source:https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/faith-coulthard-53490 ESPNcricinfo
Testcap:48
Female:true

Faith Thomas (; 22 February 1933 – 15 April 2023), born Tinnipha, was an Australian cricketer and hockey player.[1] She was also a nurse in regional South Australia. Thomas is known for being the first Indigenous woman to represent Australia in any sport as well as for her distinguished service to the Australian Indigenous community.

Early life

Thomas was born at the Nepabunna Aboriginal Mission in South Australia. Her mother, Ivy, was an Adnyamathanha woman and her father was German.[2] Her mother would take her to the Colebrook Home for Aboriginal Children in Quorn when she was a baby.[3] She would play cricket with other children at Colebrook, using stones as balls, and making bats from wood they found.

Nursing career

Thomas completed her nursing training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, graduating in 1954.[4] She was South Australia's first Indigenous nurse to be employed as a public servant.[5] [6] Thomas undertook midwifery training in Adelaide at Queen Victoria Hospital in Adelaide and in 1958 was employed to work at Raukkan (known then as Point McLeay Aboriginal Reserve). Thomas later went on to become a patrol nurse, spending much time living out of her car while on call.[7]

Cricket career

After being introduced to cricket by a colleague at Royal Adelaide Hospital, Thomas made an immediate impact for her club side, taking a hat-trick in her second game. She was selected to play for the South Australia Women's cricket team after only three club games.[8] She played for her state side between 1956 and 1958.

In 1958 she was selected for the Australian national team.[9] She played her only international match against England, at Melbourne in February 1958.[10] She was the first Aboriginal woman to be selected to represent Australia in sport, and until 2019 (following the selection of Ashleigh Gardner[11]) was the only Indigenous woman to play test cricket for Australia.[12] [13] Thomas was selected in the squad to tour England and New Zealand after her test debut, but turned down the opportunity to focus on her nursing career.[14]

Thomas was known for her fast bowling off a run-up of just a few steps.[15] She was renowned for her pace and skill of bowling the yorker.[16] Thomas's skill as a fast bowler came from her time in Colebrook where she would throw rocks at galahs.[17] Thomas played her final club cricket game in the early 1960s. She was eight months pregnant at the time.[14]

The WBBL plays an annual Faith Thomas match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Perth Scorchers to honour her achievements in both cricket and nursing. The winner of the match is presented with the Faith Thomas Trophy.[18]

Death

Thomas died on 15 April 2023, at the age of 90.[19] [20] [21]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vale Aunty Faith Thomas . 17 April 2023 . Cricket SA . en . 17 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230417021638/https://www.saca.com.au/news/vale-aunty-faith-thomas/2023-04-17 . live .
  2. Web site: 5 Indigenous women who didn't get the credit. NITV. en. 4 March 2019. 6 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306051817/https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2018/07/12/5-indigenous-women-who-didnt-get-credit. live.
  3. Web site: message stick – Faith Thomas. ABC TV (Australia). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 March 2015. 20 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170520185916/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/messagestick/stories/s1161638.htm. live.
  4. Web site: Faith Thomas . 4 March 2023 . More Than Our Childhoods . 4 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230304202708/https://www.morethanourchildhoods.org/stories/faith-thomas/ . live .
  5. Web site: Thomas, Faith – Biographical entry – Encyclopedia of Australian Science. Centre. The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research. www.eoas.info. en-gb. 4 March 2019. 6 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044347/http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004111b.htm. live.
  6. News: Aboriginal cricket pioneer Faith Thomas: 'I'm still the fastest woman bowler ever'. Jackson. Russell. 22 December 2016. The Guardian. 4 March 2019. en-GB. 0261-3077. 19 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170419003422/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/dec/23/aboriginal-cricket-pioneer-faith-thomas-im-still-the-fastest-woman-bowler-ever. live.
  7. Web site: Monga . Sidharth . 25 October 2019 . Faith Thomas is the Aussie legend you haven't heard of . 4 March 2023 . The Cricket Monthly . 4 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230304202708/https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1204339/faith-thomas-is-the-aussie-legend-you-haven-t-heard-of . live .
  8. Web site: Jolly . Laura . 1 February 2020 . Keeping the Faith: How Thomas's legacy is living on . 21 February 2020 . Cricket.com.au . 27 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200221124217/https://www.cricket.com.au/news/feature/faith-thomas-coulthard-trailblazer-australia-womens-cricket-indigenous-pioneer-ashleigh-gardner/2020-02-01 . live .
  9. News: Aborigines meet over sport grants . . 45 . 12,675 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 5 December 1970 . 9 November 2016 . 38 . National Library of Australia . 28 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191228042237/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110442197 . live .
  10. Web site: Faith Coulthard . CricketArchive . 23 January 2013 . 5 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121105041652/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/10/10841/10841.html . live .
  11. News: Jolly . Laura . 18 July 2019 . Aussie trio to make their Test cricket debut in Taunton . cricket.com.au . Cricket Australia . 20 July 2019 . 20 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190720010351/https://www.cricket.com.au/news/toss-teams-australia-england-womens-ashes-test-debut-tayla-vlaeminck-ash-gardner-sophie-molineux/2019-07-18 . live .
  12. Web site: Booth . Andrea . Briscoe . Luke . 20 inspiring black women who have changed Australia . NITV . 9 November 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160612170929/http://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2015/03/06/20-inspiring-black-women-who-have-changed-australia . 12 June 2016 .
  13. Web site: History in the making: a fast bowler with raw pace and wicket-taking ability. 25 September 2018. National Indigenous Times. en-US. 4 March 2019. 6 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044440/https://nit.com.au/history-in-the-making-a-fast-bowler-with-raw-pace-and-wicket-taking-ability/. live.
  14. Web site: Jolly . Laura . 1 February 2020 . Keeping the Faith: How Thomas's legacy is living on . 4 March 2023 . Cricket.com.au . 10 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230310033642/https://www.cricket.com.au/news/feature/faith-thomas-coulthard-trailblazer-australia-womens-cricket-indigenous-pioneer-ashleigh-gardner/2020-02-01 . live .
  15. Web site: Davies . Will . 22 December 2017 . 10 legendary Aboriginal cricketers who bowled us over . 4 March 2023 . SBS . 4 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230304191857/https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/10-legendary-aboriginal-cricketers-who-bowled-us-over/iwp4vxjdn . live .
  16. Web site: 10 July 2019 . Faith Thomas and Mike Whitney handed Queen's Birthday Honours . live . 4 March 2023 . 4 March 2023 . ESPNcricinfo . https://web.archive.org/web/20230304191857/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/faith-thomas-and-mike-whitney-handed-queen-s-birthday-honours-1188176 .
  17. Web site: 9 November 2020 . A Test star who chose nursing over cricket . 4 March 2023 . 4 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230304193401/https://savesaservices.com.au/Web/News/2020/A_Test_star_who_chose_nursing_over_cricket.aspx . live .
  18. Web site: 12 November 2021 . STRIKERS AND SCORCHERS SET TO MEET FOR FAITH THOMAS TROPHY . 4 March 2023 . Adelaide Strikers . 5 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211205144454/https://www.adelaidestrikers.com.au/news/faith-thomas-match/2021-11-12 . live .
  19. News: Fontaine . Angus . 17 April 2023 . Cricket mourns Aunty Faith Thomas, first Indigenous woman to play Test for Australia . en-GB . The Guardian . 17 April 2023 . 0261-3077 . 17 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230417042552/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/apr/17/cricket-mourns-aunty-faith-thomas-first-indigenous-woman-to-play-test-for-australia . live .
  20. Web site: Faith Thomas, the first Indigenous woman to play cricket for Australia, dies aged 90 . 17 April 2023 . ESPNcricinfo . en . 17 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230417054140/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/faith-thomas-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-play-cricket-for-australia-dies-aged-90-1369437 . live .
  21. News: Savage . Nick . 17 April 2023 . 'True powerhouse': Australian sporting pioneer Faith Thomas passes away aged 90 . en-GB . foxsports.com.au . 17 April 2023 . 17 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230417025030/https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/australian-sporting-pioneer-faith-thomas-passes-away-aged-90/news-story/f76b0a9b5e1ee855e4de3f4347d9d3e4 . live .

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