Judith Morris, widow of Australian cricket great Arthur Morris, has fulfilled her wish of attending another Sydney Ashes Test thanks to Cricket Australia and HammondCare’s Dreams Program.

For decades, Judith would attend the Sydney Test sitting side-by-side with her late husband, one of Australia’s greatest left-hand batters and a member of Don Bradman’s Invincibles that toured England in 1948.

Arthur had a stellar cricket career interrupted by war service. He retired in 1951 with 3533 runs at an impressive 46.46.

Cricket buffs will know Arthur was at the non-striker’s end when Bradman finished his career with a duck at The Oval, leaving his Test average cruelly short of 100. The shock headlines overshadowed Arthur’s 196 in the same innings.

Arthur Morris (right) and Don Bradman (left) in 1948 during an Invincibles tour game in England

Judith, now 88, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2019. In 2021, Judith became a resident at HammondCare Erina dementia care village and requires 24-hour care.

With her health declining, Judith’s much-loved trips to the SCG stopped some time ago. “I have loved cricket all my life,” Judith said. “It’s too difficult to go to the Test with accommodation and tickets these days.”

This year, thanks to Cricket Australia and the HammondCare Dreams Program, Judith’s wish for another day of Test Cricket has come true on Day 2 of the Ashes Fourth Test.

Judith visited the Arthur Morris Lounge, part of the Victor Trumper Stand, as a guest of Cricket Australia Chair Mike Baird and CEO Todd Greenberg. As part of the day, she was provided with transport to and from the event and provided with a new outfit suitable for the occasion.

Judith Morris (right) at the SCG with CA Chair Mike Baird (left) and HammondCare staff
Julie Blogg and Keegan Finlay

The HammondCare Dreams Program, funded by the HammondCare Foundation, seeks to turn dreams into reality for end-of-life patients, including those with dementia. It’s a time to create cherished memories with loved ones.

Arthur and Judith married in 1968 after their paths crossed at a Kings Cross dinner party. Both had been married before, including Arthur losing his first wife to breast cancer in his early thirties.

Arthur and Judith were inseparable through Arthur’s post-cricket business career, his years on the SCG Trust and his retirement years at Cessnock up to his death at 93. Judith loves that she is lefthanded like her husband. The two did not have children.

Judith’s memories are not as good as they were, but she still speaks adoringly about her husband.

She talks of one occasion with Arthur when a rude woman who claimed she married the famous cricketer “for his money”. It was an amusing comment as Judith was a smart investor.

“Arthur told the woman that actually he married me for my money,” Judith recalls with some laughter.

HammondCare CEO Andrew Thorburn said HammondCare was proud to organise for Judith to have another opportunity for a day of Test cricket in the lounge dedicated to her husband.

“We are delighted we can make this possible for Judith,” Mr Thorburn said.