Photo Credit: Queensland Cricket
Queensland Cricket has formally acknowledged the extensive contribution to the game in the State by former CEO Graham Dixon and scorer Judy Harris with naming ceremonies at its Albion headquarters.
The new electronic scoreboard at the venue, developed as part of the recent $19 million Allan Border Field redevelopment, was named in appreciation of Harris, one of Queensland’s longest serving scorers.
The entry to the venue from Fox Street, was named the Graham Dixon Gates in honour of the long-serving CEO of Queensland Cricket who passed away in 2013 at the age of 61.
Queensland Cricket CEO Terry Svenson paid tribute to both individuals.
“The Board and staff are delighted to recognise the efforts of Graham and Judy and these permanent marks of respect at the venue will highlight their contributions,’’ he said.
“We were very pleased to have their family and friends, including a number of former QC employees, return to Albion for the ceremonies to pay their respects and say thank you.”
Dixon and inaugural QC CEO Barry Richards were instrumental in the creation of the Allan Border Field precinct with Dixon a firm champion of the venue’s potential, which initially saw the National Cricket Centre and later, National Cricket Campus, established to take advantage of the all-year round access to turf pitches in Queensland.
A product of the Sandgate-Redcliffe club, Dixon was Queensland Cricket chief executive from 1996 to 2013.
Harris started her scoring career as a volunteer with Toombul, beginning in second grade in 1971 and working her way into first grade in 1977 where she soon came to the attention of Queensland Cricket.
“The QCA secretary Grantley Evans noticed one day that I was scoring, doing a separate ball by ball run sheet, doing my own wagon wheels on pieces of cardboard I had cut up, as well as knitting . . . he thought I could probably handle a game at the Gabba,” she said.
“I was very fortunate to do my first Queensland game alongside the incomparable Bob Spence, who was a walking encyclopedia on cricket, and we scored together for a number of years until he had to retire due to ill-health.”
Harris, who later went on to work at QC as the Executive Assistant to Graham Dixon, scored more than 350 first class games, including 31 Tests, 102 domestic one day matches, 63 One Day Internationals and 140 Sheffield Shield matches.
She retired from scoring in 2014.
