Bullinah Bears vs Lismore Boomerangs: Grand plan to unearth next Scott Boland

On the NSW north coast, a grand plan is being developed to ensure cricket doesn’t miss out on another Scott Boland fairytale.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 28: Tim Paine of Australia poses during the Australia Ashes Squad Portrait Session on July 28, 2019 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

The echoes of Scott Boland’s stunning entry to Test cricket have reverberated all the way to the NSW north coast.

An Australia Day all-indigenous cricket match between the Bullinah Bears and the Lismore Boomerangs at a buzzing Fripp Oval in Ballina should act as a blueprint for how Cricket Australia can ride the wave of Boland’s success and change the shameful statistic that only two Aboriginal males have worn the baggy green.

Boland has seen how significant the Aboriginal presence is in the NRL and AFL and after his memorable debut at the MCG outlined a dream that his golden summer could be a “springboard for young Aboriginals to get involved in the game of cricket.”

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On Wednesday, the Indigenous and non-indigenous communities of the north coast came together to showcase why that dream can become a reality.

“It means the world to me,” said Bullinah captain, Codey Kapeen.

“We’re bringing culture and families together and enjoying what we love the most, which is cricket.

“A lot of indigenous cricketers get overlooked because of what (the system thinks they) need in a cricketer.

“NRL is a different story – indigenous people play NRL, but you look at cricket and you could put them on your five fingers.

“Indigenous cricketers … just don’t get that opportunity to actually go and show what they’re capable of doing.

“Scott Boland, when he’s out there – he’s an inspiration to all indigenous and non-indigenous people. Just his character – a kind, well-mannered, respectful bloke who represents his culture and the people he comes from.”

Ryan Kappen ( left ) and Stewart Kappen of the Bears.

Scott Boland has made a stunning start to his Test career.

The Ballina Bears’ annual all-indigenous match drills down into the reasons why Aboriginal participation in cricket is lower than in other sports, and how the game can change that narrative. Cricket Australia should take note.

“I’m not indigenous, I’m just a busted arse cricketer who is a level 2 coach and for me it’s just all about opportunities,” said Ballina President Phillip Melville, who wants to turn his event into a knockout for the whole north coast region and even provide transport for people in remote areas.

“What we’re trying to achieve is Little Johnny from out the back of Tabulam, that bowls 145km/h but doesn’t want to play in Casino – he just doesn’t want to play (club cricket) – but he’ll play for his people.

“He can rock along to Fripp Oval an indigenous knockout and the Imparja (Cricket Australia Indigenous cricket) selectors can say, ‘holy shit, where’s he from,’ and he could be the next Scotty Boland.”

Lismore skipper Leroy Duroux said Boland is a role model who can be a force for change.

“On Australia Day, when indigenous people are coming together, hopefully this just spreads the word. We’ve got people come from all around the Ballina, Lismore area just to celebrate this great summer sport and the atmosphere here today, it was like we were playing at a big stadium. What more could you ask for to show off our talent,” said Duroux.

“Cricket is the sport of Australia and we have some deadly talent out there that just gets overlooked because the awareness is not there for us to develop those skills and continue on further.

“What Scott Boland has done is a milestone for young men to look up to and show you can get through it.

“Maybe we can see more indigenous people not even playing for Australia, but in the Sheffield Shield and Big Bash and first grade.”

Boland is quietly spoken, but Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley is aware of the enormity of his influence.

“Scott’s debut at the MCG was one of the highlights of the Ashes and will be spoken about for years to come,” said Hockley.

“People want to emulate their heroes and the impact of Scott’s performance and popularity cannot be underestimated.”

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The power shift in Australian cricket will be laid bare in a new fly-on-the-wall documentary about the men’s Test team.

After the worldwide success of Amazon’s The Test, which documented the re-emergence of the Australian team in the wake of the Sandpapergate scandal, Cricket Australia has spent the Ashes summer shooting a sequel to be released later this year.

As Cricket Australia administrators deliberate over the coaching future of Justin Langer, the documentary will become a fascinating postscript to whatever decision is made.

While Langer was the central character in the original, it’s understood the focus of the new documentary will instead be on the journeys of a number of key players, in particular new captain Pat Cummins.

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New Australian captain Pat Cummins features prominently in the latest Test team documentary.

Distribution rights are yet to be determined, but The Test II shapes up as another drama-filled blockbuster, given it captures the behind-the-scenes reaction of the Australian team to Tim Paine’s stunning demise as captain and the start of a new era under the country’s first fast bowling skipper in 70 years.

An extraordinary player revolt late last year over his coaching methods prompted Langer to take more of a back seat role for the World Cup and Ashes and delegate responsibility to his assistant coaches and senior players.

“That’s one of the themes that will be explored … this change of philosophy, the change of roles, the delineation of responsibilities, there will be an overarching narrative around that and obviously Pat Cummins leads that story quite a lot,” said Richard Ostroff, Cricket Australia’s head of broadcast.

“One of the really interesting themes to explore is, there is a lot going right within that team that you can observe just from the outside.

The reaction to the loss of Tim Paine from the Test team is also put under the microscope.

“You’ve got a group of happy players again in a way that we probably haven’t seen in a number of years, I don’t think.

“ … I think one of the things we’re exploring here is, what’s changed inside the group?

“JL’s clearly doing a terrific job and my personal view is he’s been copping a lot and it’s tough on him. When they’re losing it’s because of him, and now they’re winning and the press is it’s in spite of him. But that’s certainly not how I see it. I think there’s a lot to be said for someone who operates at his level to reinvent himself and that’s what appears to have happened.”

The most memorable scene from The Test, was Langer kicking over the dustbin in the Headingley coach’s box, before picking every piece of tipped out rubbish up again as the infamous loss for Australia reached its nerve-racking climax.

There won’t be that same focus on Langer this time around — although it has nothing to do with the microscope being put on his future.

“The plan for this second series all the time was we needed to take a deeper view of the players themselves, because in a sense, JL carried so much of the first story – and rightly so,” said Ostroff, with Scott Boland and Usman Khawaja among those featured.

“He’s such a fascinating character and it was as much about his journey starting in the job as anything else. But you’ve always got to do something different. You’ve always got to ask yourself, ‘well why would we do this again?’

The next instalment of inside Australia's Test team. Picture: Supplied

Cameraman Andre Mauger, who has filmed both documentaries.

“One of the key points of difference all along – and this is irrespective of whatever role JL is now playing within the team – was this one needed to have more of a focus on the players as essential characters, which it does.

“In terms of the observations of what’s going on within the group as to anyone’s particular role; that will reveal itself.”

Cummins celebrates another wicket during the 4-0 drubbing of England.

The transfer of power in the Test team has gone ahead without a hiccup.

The second documentary starts with the team in quarantine on the Gold Coast and almost instantly the squad is hit between the eyes with the Paine sexting scandal no one saw coming.

The project is shot by the same brilliant cameraman, Andre Mauger who filmed the first documentary and he is once again embedded with the team and has their full trust.

“There’s some fascinating drama that was going on within the team itself which I think the fans are just going to lap up,” Ostroff said.