From the thousands of sporting events Queensland has hosted over the years, four stand out in the memories of the people who were there — and those who have spoken about them so often that they have come to believe they were there.

The First Test in the series between Richie Benaud's Australians and Frank Worrell's West Indians did more than set the scene for a wonderful series; it revived flagging interest in Test cricket around the world. While many countries had followed the English lead of dull, safety-first cricket, in this match the two teams showed how exciting the game could be. After four days of see-sawing battle, it all came down to the last over, which proved to be one of the most exciting in the game's history. In those seven balls, there were wickets, audacious runs, a dropped catch, a desperate dive which saved four overthrows and Joe Solomon's sensational pick-up and throw to run out last man Ian Meckiff with the scores tied for the first time in Test cricket history.

AUSTRALIA: Benaud, McDonald, Simpson, Harvey, O'Neill, Favell, Mackay, Davidson, Grout, Meckiff, Kline
WEST INDIES: Worrell, Hunte, Smith, Kanhai, Sobers, Solomon, Lashley, Alexander, Ramadhin, Hall, Valentine

Origin of Origin: Queensland captain Artie Beetson is mobbed by fans as he leaves the field after thumping the NSW Blues in the first State of Origin rugby league match at Lang Park in July 1980. Picture: Jim Fenwick

As 35-year-old warhorse Arthur Beetson led the Maroons on to Lang Park for the first Origin match, it was the end of more than 70 years of frustration for long-suffering Queensland fans.

For years they had seen their best players lured to the big-spending NSW clubs, only to come back in blue jumpers to inflict defeats on the locals. On that historic night in July 1980, when footballers could finally represent the state where they started playing, the wheel turned.

Beetson, who had never had a chance to represent his home state, set the tone when he belted his Parramatta team-mate Mick Cronin. Youngsters Wally Lewis, Chris Close and Mal Meninga, in awe of the big fella, followed suit and the crowd went wild.

When the dust settled, Queensland had won 20-10, the headlines trumpeted "The Night We Beat The Blues" and interstate league would never be the same again.

QLD: Morris, Lang, Beetson (c), Hancock, Reddy, Lewis, Oliphant, Smith, Backer, Close, Meninga, Boustead, Scott
NSW: Hambly, Edge, Young, Cooper, Wynn, Leis, Raudonikis (c), Thompson, Brentnall, Rogers, Cronin, Anderson, Eadie

If Origin provided a feast for Queensland fans, the Broncos were the icing on the cake.

After years of to-ing and fro-ing over whether to allow a Queensland team into the NSW competition, the Broncos finally got the nod. And in game one, they bucked premiers Manly all the way back to Brookvale.

If fans had any doubts about whether Wally Lewis, Alfie Langer, Greg Dowling (right), Gene Miles (background),  Greg Conescu and Joe Kilroy could cut it in the "Sydney comp", they didn't have them for long. The new boys completely outplayed the big-name Manly players, winning 44-10.

Lewis scored two tries and set up two others, Terry Matterson scored 24 points — a record which would last years — and the Sydney clubs which had controlled the game for so long realised there was a new force to be reckoned with.

BRONCOS: Dowling, Conescu, Neibling, Le Man, Gee, Matterson, Langer, Lewis (c), Kilroy, Johns, Miles, Hancock, Scott
MANLY: Shearer, Ronson, Burke, O'Connor, Davis, Lyons, Hasler, Cunningham, Cleal, Gately, McKinnon, Vautin (c), Daley

Victory at last . . . Big-hearted Queensland warhorse Carl Rackemann shatters the stumps of South Australian batsman Shane George in the historic Sheffield Shield final at the Gabba in March 1995, Picture: Anthony Weate.

It was fitting that Carl Rackemann took the winning catch that finally brought the Sheffield Shield to Queensland, for the big-hearted fast bowler epitomised the quest for the "Holy Grail".

Rackemann gave his all in 98 matches for his state, only to be denied time after time. It was a feeling Queensland cricket supporters knew well, going right back to the first Shield season in 1892-93.

The state's inability to win the Shield had become an obsession for Queenslanders, a joke for others. Someone — thought to be a NSW player — had written on the back of the Shield the words: "Qld Never In History".

In March 95, the Bulls made their own history. Well captained by Stuart Law and inspired by the performances of Trevor Barsby, Matthew Love and Allan Border, the Queenslanders outplayed South Australia, winning by an innings and 101 runs. The state didn't stop celebrating for months.