GABBA - Queensland Cricket

Edition 8 – October 2005CONTENTS2 ‘Leading the Charge’ –With Graham Dixon3 Test Lunch & BreakfastCorporate Hospitality4 Hayden: Take Me HomeHow To Win a Car!!!5 Bulls Preview6 The Bill Brown Medal7 Volunteers DayBulls Family Fun Day8 The Code of the Bull9 “Bulls Eye” -Jimmy Maher10 Fire Preview11 Sponsors News12 A New Building at QCHQ13 Game Development14 New Bulls Merchandise15 Girls Get Fired Up16 Behind the Sight Screen“Between the Wickets” isthe official E-Newsletter ofQueensland CricketEditor: Peter BlucherQueensland Cricket1 Bogan StBreakfast Creek, Q, 4010Ph: (07) 3292-3100Fax: (07) 3262 9160Email: qldc@qldcricket.com.auQC website: qldcricket.com.auBulls website: bulls.com.auIt’s hard to believe it’smore than six monthssince the end of last season,and that we’re backinto first-class cricket atthe Gabba on Friday.Where did the off-seasongo?I probably shouldn’t usethe term ‘off-season’ becausereally no such thingexists.Since the 2004-05 PuraCup final we’ve had MattyHayden, MichaelKasprowicz, Andrew Symondsand Shane Watsontour with the Australianside, and Symonds, Watson,Jimmy Maher, MartinLove, Andy Bichel, AshleyNoffke, Nathan Hauritz andAaron Nye play at variouslevels in England.Watson, James Hopes,Chris Hartley and MitchellJohnson have been to Pakistanwith the Australia “A”side, Johnson, NathanReardon and State U19captain Ben Gledhill havetoured India with the CommonwealthBank Centre ofExcellence, and nowReardon is off to HongKong for a six-a-side tournament.That’s on top of Queensland’sInstitute Challengewin in Darwin, and a successfulSuncorp CountryChallenge in Rockhampton,where Country won theone-day game despite apower-hitting 136 from100 balls by City’s CraigPhilipson, and City captainChris Simpson hit a six offthe last ball to give his sidea Twenty20 win. And, alively start to the XXXXGold Grade Competition.Still, despite the freneticon-field action staff in alldepartments at QueenslandCricket have usedthe time to prepare for anotherhuge summer, withthe biggest and best list ofmatches ever seen at theGabba in one season.We go into the 2005-06campaign with good solidarityat the top level. TheBoard under Chairman DamienMullins SC returnsunchanged; likewise theState selection panels formen and women, and thecoaches and captains ofthe XXXX Gold Bulls andthe Konica Minolta Fire.A full review of both sidesin conjunction with coachesTerry Oliver and Jo Broadbent,and some minorpreparation changes givesus every reason to be confidentof a good showing.Chris SimpsonOver the winter we’ve alsoseen the completion of theGabba. Now with a capacityof 42,000, it will be adelight for patrons, withthe new section on theStanley Street side offeringexcellent facilities for thegeneral public in additionto the corporates.We’ll put the new sectionto the Test during a phenomenalsix days of cricketfrom 6-17 January in whichwe’ll host the first Twenty20international in Australiabetween Australiaand South Africa, a BullsTwenty20 game againstTasmania, a Bulls one-daytour match against SouthAfrica, plus the traditionalVB Series ODIs.It promises to be a hugecampaign, and, havingwon the right to host thewatershed Twenty20 international,it’s imperative wepull a bumper crowd.It’ll be one of those occasionswhen, in 10 or 20years time, people will ask“do you remember the firstTwenty20 international inAustralia …?”It’d be great for you to beable to say you were there!And, of course, all that’s ontop of the first Test of theseries against the Windies,and an ever-busy domesticprogram, with three PuraCup and ING Cup games atthe Gabba before Christmas,and a four-day tourgame against the Windiesat Allan Border Field.Enjoy the summer!2