Imparja Cup
{{Update|date=April 2025}}
{{Short description|Series of Australian cricket tournaments}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox cricket tournament main
| name = Imparja Cup & National Indigenous Cricket Championships
| administrator = Northern Territory Cricket
Cricket Australia
| cricket format = One Day, Twenty20, Super 8, 6-a-side Indoor Cricket
| first = 1994 (2001 as a national competition)
| tournament format = Round-robin and Playoff final
| participants =
| champions = NICC Men: Queensland
NICC Women: Western Australia
Major Centres: Alice Springs
Community Men's: Reclink Rebels
Community Women's: Bush Potatoes
| most successful = NICC Men: Queensland (7 titles)
NICC Women: NSW (7 titles)
Major Centres: Darwin (5 titles)
Community Men's: Reclink Rebels/All Sorts (2 titles)
Community Women's: Bush Potatoes (6 titles)
| qualification =
| most runs =
| most wickets =
| website = http://www.nicc.cricket.com.au
}}
The Imparja Cup and National Indigenous Cricket Championships are Australian cricket tournaments based in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The 2025 edition was held in Mackay. The tournaments are contested annually by teams of Indigenous Australian cricketers.
History
The Imparja Cup tournament has its origins in an annual match started in 1994 between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek by Shane and Mervyn Franey from Alice Springs and Ross Williams from Tennant Creek.{{cite web|url=http://www.ntcricket.com.au/docs/IC%20Booklet%2009.pdf|title=Imparja Cup 2009|publisher=Northern Territory Cricket|accessdate=12 October 2009}} By 1998 Northern Territory Cricket had become involved in organising the tournament and in 2001 Cricket Australia turned the tournament into a national competition.{{cite web|url=http://cricket.com.au/default.aspx?s=imparja-cup2|title=History of the Imparja Cup|publisher=Cricket Australia|accessdate=12 October 2009}}{{cite news|url=http://www.torresnews.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=947&Itemid=1|title=Imparja Cup makes historic visit |date=13 September 2008|publisher=Torres News|accessdate=12 October 2009}}{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23208880-10389,00.html|title=Test match statistic is a sorry state of affairs|last=Craddock|first=Robert|date=13 February 2008|work=Courier Mail|accessdate=12 October 2009}} Imparja Television has been involved in the annual match and the national tournament since 1994.{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25116140-2722,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121215184600/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25116140-2722,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 December 2012|title=Matthew Hayden turns out for indigenous|last=Koch|first=Dan|date=28 February 2008|work=The Australian|accessdate=12 October 2009}} In 2016, Cricket Australia re-formatted the State and Territory Division to become the National Indigenous Cricket Championships, to set the pathway for aspiring indigenous cricketers looking to play first-class cricket. Also, an Indoor Cricket division was introduced into the Imparja Cup in 2016 as to allow more playing opportunities for Community sides.
Format
In its current format there are six divisions in the Imparja Cup and National Indigenous Cricket Championships together. The NICC Men's Division is played as a One Day and Twenty20 round-robin tournament with the two top teams playing off in a One Day limited overs final.
The NICC Women's Division is played as a Twenty20 round-robin tournament with the top two teams playing off in a Twenty20 final.
Teams in the Major Centres Division play Twenty20 cricket whilst the Community Men's Division and Community Women's Division both play a shorter, 14-over format in Super 8s.{{cite news|url=http://www.cricketnews.com.au/indigenous-cricket-imparja-cup/|title=Indigenous Cricket Imparja Cup|last=Hill|first=Craig|date=6 February 2009|publisher=Cricket News|accessdate=12 October 2009|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230090607/http://www.cricketnews.com.au/indigenous-cricket-imparja-cup/|archive-date=30 December 2012|url-status=dead}}
The Indoor Cricket format sees teams play a fast-paced 6-a-side format.
Media
Since 2009, the tournament has been covered on National Indigenous Television.{{cite news|url=http://nitv.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=358&Itemid=13|title=Cricket Legends Matt Hayden & Steve Waugh Support NITV's 2009 Imparja Cup |publisher=NITV|accessdate=12 October 2009}}
You may also view the Northern Territory Cricket YouTube channel to view footage from the Imparja Cup.
Winners
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center" |
| rowspan= 2|Year
!rowspan= 2|Host !colspan=2|National Indigenous Cricket Cup !colspan=4|Imparja Cup |
|---|
| Men's Division
! Women's Division ! Major Centres Division ! Community Men's Division ! Community Women's Division ! Indoor Cricket |
| 2025
| Mackay | ? | ? | ? | — |
| [https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/org/cricket-australia-state-competitions/national-indigenous-cricket-championships-summer-202324/fab1d8b0 2024]
| Yeperenye Shopping Centre | South Alice Springs Sporting Club | Golden Sistas | — |
| 2023
| ? | ? | ? | — |
| 2021-22
|colspan=6| Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020
| ? | ? | ? |
| [http://nicc.cricket.com.au/pageitem.aspx?id=174052&id2=1&eID=11181&entityID=11181 2019]
| Darwin Barra's | ? | ? | – |
| 2018
| Desert Eagles | Brothers in Arms | Bush Potatoes | – |
| 2017
| Victoria | Tennant Creek | Red Centre Wranglers | Bush Potatoes | ? |
| 2016
| Alice Springs | Reclink Rebels | Bush Potatoes | Anmatjere Eagles |
| 2015
| All Sorts | Reclink Rebels | Bush Potatoes | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2014
| Darwin | All Sorts | Bush Potatoes | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2013
| Darwin | All Sorts | Bush Potatoes | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2012
| Darwin | Brothers in Arms | Bush Potatoes | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2011
| Maranoa Murris | Gap Angels | Bush Potatoes | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2010
| Alkupitja | Tanami Flying Miners | style="text-align:center;| – | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2009
| Alkupitja | Tangentyere | New South Wales | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2008
| Katherine | Cooktown | New South Wales | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2007
| style="text-align:center;| – | Alkupitja | Cat Tigers | CGA Cougars | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2006
| style="text-align:center;| – | Alice Springs | Melville Island | Darwin | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2005
| style="text-align:center;| – | Alice Springs | Alkupitja | Darwin | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2004
| style="text-align:center;| – | Alice Springs | Normanton | Tennant Creek | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2003
| style="text-align:center;| – | Darwin | style="text-align:center;| – | style="text-align:center;| – | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2002
| style="text-align:center;| – | Darwin | style="text-align:center;| – | style="text-align:center;| – | style="text-align:center;| – |
| 2001
| Tasmania | style="text-align:center;| – | style="text-align:center;| – | style="text-align:center;| – | style="text-align:center;| – | style="text-align:center;| – |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzx2b5Q9sQVpF58k7Wdyut5EBM9cYpIaj National Indigenous Cricket Championships] at Cricket Australia YouTube channel
Category:Australian domestic cricket competitions
Category:Cricket in the Northern Territory
Category:Indigenous Australian sport