Neil Harvey with the Australian cricket team in England in 1948
Encyclopedia
Neil Harvey
was a member of Donald Bradman
's famous Australian cricket team, which toured England in 1948 and was undefeated in their 34 matches. This unprecedented feat by a Test side touring England earned them the sobriquet The Invincibles.
Aged 19, Harvey was the youngest player of the touring party. An attacking left-handed middle-order batsman
, he had become the youngest Australian to score a Test century
by compiling 153 in the Fifth Test against India in the preceding Australian summer of 1947–48. However, Harvey struggled early on in the tour, having difficulty adapting to English conditions. After being omitted from the first-choice team in the first half of the tour, Harvey's performances improved with his increasing familiarity with local conditions and he was called into the team for the Fourth Test at Headingley
after an injury to Sid Barnes
. Harvey scored 112 in a first innings counter-attack to keep Australia in contention after they had suffered a top-order collapse. Harvey hit the winning boundary
in the second innings as Australia won the match with a Test world record successful run-chase of 3/404. He retained his place for the Fifth Test, ending the series with 133 runs at a batting average
of 66.50.
Overall, Harvey ended with 1,129 runs at 53.76 in the first-class matches
with four centuries, placing him sixth on the run-scoring aggregates and seventh in the batting averages for Australia. Harvey was an acrobatic fielder, regarded as the best in the Australian team. He was twelfth man in the Tests before he broke into the playing XI, and took several acclaimed catches throughout the tour. He took 17 catches for the tour and claimed a solitary wicket
with his occasional off spin
.
in the 1946–47 Australian season for his state Victoria
. The following year, at the age of 19, Harvey made his debut in the Fourth Test against India
in Australia in 1947–48 after a series of impressive performances at domestic level. In the Fifth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
, he hit 153 to break Archie Jackson
's record for the youngest Australian to make a Test century. The innings ensured him a place on the 1948 Invincibles tour of England as the youngest member of the 17-man squad. He was more than six and a half years younger than the next youngest players of the team, Arthur Morris
and Bill Johnston
.Cashman, pp. 118, 153, 174, 176, 215–216. Speaking about Harvey's selection, his captain and one of three selectors Donald Bradman
opined "He has the brilliance and daring of youth, and the likelihood of rapid improvement".
. Despite scoring a century in Australia’s most recent Test, Harvey was made 12th man and it appeared that he was not initially in Bradman's Test plans. Australia promptly crushed the hosts by an innings.Fingleton, p. 42.
Harvey made his debut on English soil in the second tour match against Leicestershire
. Batting at No. 5, he came in at 3/316 and made 12, struggling against the local spinners
,Fingleton, p. 50. as Australia collapsed to end on 448 before winning by an innings. Harvey played a key role in Australia's victory in the next match against Yorkshire
in Bradford
, on a damp pitch
that suited slower bowling.Fingleton, pp. 53–55. Harvey took two catches in the home side's first innings of 71. He made seven in the first innings as Australia replied with 101. After the hosts were bowled out for 89 in their second innings, Australia collapsed to 4/20 in pursuit of 60 for victory. No sooner had Harvey walked out to bat at No. 6, stand-in captain Lindsay Hassett
—Bradman rested himself for the match—top-edged a pull shot and was caught to leave Australia at 5/20. To make matters worse, Sam Loxton
was injured and could not bat, so Australia were effectively six wickets down and faced their first loss to an English county since 1912.Fingleton, p. 55. Harvey had scored a solitary run when he hit a ball to Len Hutton
at short leg, who dived forwards and grabbed it with both hands before dropping it. Harvey then swept the next ball for a boundary. Colin McCool
was out at 6/31 before Harvey and wicket-keeper
Don Tallon
steadied Australia. Harvey was reprieved on 12; he took several steps down the pitch to the bowling of Frank Smailes
and missed, but the wicketkeeper fumbled the stumping
opportunity. Harvey then hit the winning runs by lifting Smailes for a six over the sightscreen, ending unbeaten on 18 not out
.Fingleton, p. 56.
The Australians travelled to London to play Surrey
at The Oval
. Harvey scored seven and struggled in contrast to the rest of the Australians, who prospered to total 632, laying the foundation for an innings victory. Harvey took three catches in the match, including two leaping catches in the second innings with his hands above his head. His feats prompted the local spectators to say that such acrobatic catches had never been seen at The Oval.Fingleton, p. 62. The home team's captain Stuart Surridge
lofted a drive down the ground, and Harvey ran 25 m from wide long-on
and leapt in the air to catch the ball, which would have cleared the boundary. Harvey managed only 16 before being run out
while batting with Bill Brown
as Australia piled on 4/414 declared
and defeated Cambridge University
by an innings in the following match.
Harvey was then rested as Australia crushed Essex
by an innings and 451 runs, its largest winning margin for the summer. During this match, the other batsmen set a world record for the most first-class runs scored in one day’s play, adding 721 on the opening day. Harvey returned for the innings victory against Oxford University
, but scored only 23 as Australia amassed 431 in their only opportunity at the batting crease.
The next match was against the Marylebone Cricket Club
at Lord's. The MCC fielded seven players who would represent England in the Tests, and were basically a full strength Test team, while Australia fielded their first-choice team. It was a chance to gain a psychological advantage, and given Harvey's early struggles in English conditions and his failure to pass 25 in his first six innings, he was overlooked as Australia amassed 552 and won by an innings.
After asking Bradman about the reason for his difficulties with the bat, Harvey was told that these were caused by rash shot selection and a tendency to hit the ball in the air. Bradman said "He was technically perfect in his shot production. He was batting well enough and simply getting out early." Harvey adapted his style and improved his performance. In the next match, he scored 36 and 76 not out on a turning pitch against Lancashire
at Old Trafford in Manchester
, putting on an unbroken century partnership
with Ron Hamence
in the second innings as the match ended in a draw. Harvey was rested for the following match against Nottinghamshire
, which was also drawn.
Harvey returned in the next fixture against Hampshire
and made one as Australia were dismissed for 117 in reply to the home side's 195. It was the first time the tourists had conceded a first innings lead on the tour. However, Harvey did not get another chance with the bat as Australia recovered to win by eight wickets.
against Sussex
. It was the final county fixture before the First Test at Trent Bridge
. He came to the crease at 3/360 and put on stands of 93 and 97 with Ray Lindwall
and Hamence respectively to finish unbeaten on 100 in only 115 minutes. Australia declared at 5/549 when Harvey reached three figures and went on to complete an innings victory. Former Australian Test batsman Jack Fingleton
described Harvey's innings as "a superb century, rich in youthful daring and stroke production".Fingleton, p. 79. Harvey later rated it his best innings of the tour excluding the Test matches.
Up to this point, the reserve opener Brown had scored 800 runs on tour at an average of 72.72, with a double century, three other centuries and 81 not out, and was on his third tour of England. In contrast, Harvey had totalled only 296 runs at 42.29 despite his unbeaten 100 against Sussex.
Brown thus gained selection for the First Test, batting out of position in the middle order while Sid Barnes
and Morris opened, whereas Harvey was dropped despite making a century in Australia's most recent Test against India. This was the exact situation that had unfolded in the Worcestershire and MCC matches when Australia fielded their first-choice team; Harvey did not play and Brown batted out of position in the middle order. There was a chance of Harvey receiving a last-minute call-up when Barnes was ill with food poisoning in the week leading up to the Test, but the opener recovered.
Despite his omission, Harvey spent a large amount of the Test substituting as twelfth man for paceman Ray Lindwall
, who succumbed to a hamstring injury in the first innings. Lindwall was nevertheless able to jog between the wickets when Australia batted, without needing a runner
, but he did not take the field in the second innings. Fingleton said that Harvey was "by far the most brilliant fieldsman of both sides" and that Australia gained a substantial advantage through his presence on the ground. England captain Norman Yardley
was sceptical as to whether Lindwall was sufficiently injured to be unable to field, but he did not formally object to the presence of Harvey. Former Australian Test cricket Bill O'Reilly
said that Lindwall was demonstrably not "incapacitated" and that Yardley "must be condemned for carrying his concepts of sportsmanship too far".O'Reilly, p. 42. O'Reilly decried the benefit that Australia derived through the substitution, agreeing with Fingleton that Harvey was the tourists' best fielder by far. English commentator John Arlott
went further, calling Harvey the best fielder in the world.Arlott, p. 41. Australia went on to defeat England by eight wickets although Brown made only 17.
Between Tests, Harvey was called in for the match against Northamptonshire
, scoring only 14, while Brown was rested as Australia won by an innings. In the second match before the next Test, which was against Yorkshire
, Harvey made 49 and 56 while Brown made 19 and 113 as an opener. Harvey hit the ball to all parts of the ground and Fingleton opined that "[Harvey] probably gained the respect of this most discerning crowd more quickly than any other cricketer in recent years".Fingleton, p. 193. However, Brown retained his middle-order position for the Second Test at Lord's ahead of Harvey; Australia fielded an unchanged team. O'Reilly criticised the retention of Brown, who had appeared to be noticeably uncomfortable in the unfamiliar role. He said that despite the fact that Brown had made an unbeaten double century on his previous Test at Lord's in 1938, Loxton and Harvey had better claims to selection.O'Reilly, p. 59. Bradman’s men went on to a crushing win by 409 runs, although Brown made only 24 and 32 in the middle order.
The next match was against Surrey
and started the day after the Second Test. Brown injured a finger while fielding in the first innings, so he was not able to bat in Australia's first innings, in which Harvey made 43 before being run out. In the second innings, Harvey caught Surrey captain Errol Holmes
from a leaping catch, snaffling the ball as it flew through a flock of pigeons.Fingleton, p. 196. On the final day, Australia wanted to finish the run-chase quickly so they could watch the Australian John Bromwich
play in the Wimbledon tennis
final. Harvey volunteered to play as a makeshift opener alongside Sam Loxton
and promised Bradman that he would reach the target quickly. Australia chased down the 122 runs needed for victory in just 58 minutes to complete a 10-wicket win in just 20.1 overs. Harvey ended unbeaten on 73 and the Australians arrived at Wimbledon in time for the championship-deciding match.
For the following match against Gloucestershire
before the Third Test, Brown did not play. Harvey came to the crease at 3/304 and put on 164 for the fourth wicket before his partner Morris was out for 294. He put on another 63 with Loxton before falling for 95. During his innings, Harvey repeatedly advanced out of the crease to attack the spinners. Loxton ended on 159 not out as Australia reached 7/774 declared, their highest score of the tour, which underpinned a dominant innings victory. Harvey and the other Australian batsmen repeatedly left their crease to charge and attack the off spin of Tom Goddard
, who ended with 0/186. Goddard had been touted as a possible England selection because the bowlers used in the first two Tests had failed to challenge the supremacy of Australia’s batsmen, but the tourists’ attack ended his prospects. Loxton's innings earned him Brown's middle-order position for the Third Test at Old Trafford
, which was a rain-affected draw.
was used as a makeshift opener because Morris was the only specialist opener left in the team after the omission of Brown. In the meantime, Barnes's injury had opened up a vacancy for the Fourth Test. Harvey managed only ten and Brown only eight as Australia defeated Middlesex
by ten wickets in their only county match between Tests.
Despite his low score in the preceding match against Middlesex, Harvey was called into the team for the Fourth Test at Headingley
at the expense of Barnes. The selectors had overlooked Brown as a replacement for Barnes's opening position. Instead, vice-captain Hassett would move from the middle-order to accompany Morris at the top of the innings, while Harvey would slot into the middle-order.
England batted first and amassed 496. Australia began their reply on the second afternoon and Bradman and Hassett saw the tourists to stumps at 1/63. The next morning, Hassett and Bradman fell in one Dick Pollard
over to leave Australia at 3/68 with two new batsmen at the crease. Harvey came in bareheaded at No. 5 to join cavalier all rounder Keith Miller
. Australia were more than 400 behind and if England were to remove the pair, they would expose Australia's lower order and give themselves an opportunity to take a large first innings lead. Upon arriving in the middle, Harvey told his senior partner "What's going on out here, eh? Let's get stuck into 'em".Perry, p. 245.Fingleton, p. 161. Harvey got off the mark by forcing the ball behind point for a single.
The pair launched a counterattack, with Miller taking the lead. He hoisted off spin
ner Jim Laker
's first ball over square leg for six. Miller shielded Harvey from Laker, as the young batsman was struggling against the off break
s that were turning away from him, especially one ball that spun and bounced, beating his outside edge.Fingleton, p. 162. Miller drilled an off-drive from Laker for four, and then hit another flat over his head, almost for six into the sightscreen. This allowed Australia to seize the initiative, and Harvey joined the fightback during the next over
, hitting consecutive boundaries against Laker, the second of which almost cleared the playing area. He then took another boundary to reach 44, with Miller on 42.Fingleton, p. 163. Miller then lifted Laker for a six over long off, and a four over long on from Yardley to reach 54. Miller drove the next ball through cover for four. Yardley responded by stacking the on side
with outfielders and bowling outside leg stump
, challenging Miller to another hit for six. The batsman obliged, but edged the ball and was caught at short fine leg for 58.Perry, p. 246.Arlott, pp. 108–109. The partnership yielded 121 runs in 90 minutes, and was likened by Wisden
to a "hurricane". Fingleton said that he had never "known a more enjoyable hour" of "delectable cricket".Fingleton, pp. 162–163. O'Reilly said that Miller and Harvey had counter-attacked with "such joyful abandon that it would have been difficult, if not absolutely impossible, to gather from their methods of going about it that they were actually retrieving a tremendously difficult situation". Arlott said that "two of the greatest innings of all Test cricket were being played" during the partnership.Arlott, p. 108.
At 4/189 Loxton came in to join Harvey, who continued to attack the bowling, unperturbed by Miller's demise. Ken Cranston
came on to bowl and Harvey square drove and then hooked to deep square leg for consecutive boundaries. Yardley then moved a man from fine leg to where the hook had gone; Harvey responded by glancing a ball to the fielder’s former position, collecting three more runs. Australia thus went to lunch at 4/204, with Harvey on 70.Fingleton, p. 164.
After lunch, Australia scored slowly as Loxton struggled. Yardley took the new ball
in an attempt to trouble the batsmen with livelier bowling, but instead, Loxton began to settle in. He lofted Pollard to the leg side, almost for six, and then hit three boundaries off another over. Harvey accelerated as well, and 80 minutes into the middle session, reached his century to a loud reception as Australia passed 250. Harvey’s knock had taken 177 minutes and included 14 fours.Fingleton, p. 165. Loxton then dominated the scoring and brought up his 50 with a six. The partnership yielded 105 in only 95 minutes. Harvey was eventually out for 112 from 183 balls, bowled by Laker while playing a cross-batted sweep. His shot selection prompted Bradman to throw his head back in disappointment.Fingleton, p. 166. Nevertheless, it was an innings noted for powerful driving on both sides of the wicket and the high rate of scoring helped to swing the match back from England's firm control. Harvey fell at 5/294, and Australia slumped to 8/355 before a counterattack by Ray Lindwall
saw them to 458, restricting England's lead to 38. O'Reilly said that Harvey's innings was one of "no inhibitions" and that it was "completely unspoiled by any preconceived plan to eliminate any particular shot". He added that it was "the very mirror of truth in the batting art", "delightfully untrammeled by the scourage of good advice or any other handicapping influence", and that Harvey's innings was the most pleasing he had seen since Stan McCabe
's 232 at Trent Bridge
in 1938.
England then progressed to 0/129 in their second innings before Harvey intervened. On 65, Cyril Washbrook
attempted a hook from Bill Johnston
. Connecting with the middle of the bat, he imparted much power on the ball, which flew flat and never went more than six metres above the ground, but Harvey quickly ran across the ground and bent over to catch the ball at ankle height while still on the run. Jack Fingleton
said that it "was the catch of the season—or, indeed, would have been had Harvey not turned on several magnificent aerial performances down at The Oval
[against Surrey]". O’Reilly doubted "whether any other player on either side could have made the distance to get to the ball, let alone make a neat catch of it". He added that the "hook was a beauty and the catch was a classic".O'Reilly, p. 134. Later in the day, captain Yardley was caught by a leaping Harvey while attempting a lofted shot from Johnston.Fingleton, p. 172.
After five minutes on the final morning, Yardley declared
at 8/365. Batting into the final day allowed Yardley to ask the groundsman to use a heavy roller
, which would help to break up the wicket, thereby causing more uneven bounce and making the surface more likely to spin. The declaration left Australia to chase 404 runs for victory. At the time, this would have been the highest ever fourth innings score to result in a Test victory for the batting side. Australia had only 345 minutes to reach the target, and the local press wrote them off, predicting that they would be dismissed by lunchtime on a deteriorating wicket expected to favour the spin bowlers. However, Morris partnered Bradman in a stand of 301 in 217 minutes to set up the win, although they were helped by England’s fielders, who missed several catching and stumping chances. Harvey came to the crease at 3/396 and got off the mark by hitting the winning boundary.
Immediately after the Headingley Test, Harvey made 32 in a fleet-footed cameo attack against the local spinners as Australia amassed 456 and defeated Derbyshire
by an innings. In the next match against Glamorgan
, he came to the crease at the fall of third wicket and made nine runs before rain ended the match in the second innings. Harvey then made a duck
, bowled by a big-turning leg break
from Eric Hollies
in the first innings as Australia defeated Warwickshire
by nine wickets; he was not required to bat in the second innings.Perry (2008), p. 216. Harvey was then rested as Australia faced and drew with Lancashire for the second time on the tour. He returned for the non-first-class match against Durham
, scoring two out of Australia's 282 in a rain-affected draw, which ended after the first day without reaching the second innings.
for a straight-driven four and then pulled him for another. Harvey then succumbed to Eric Hollies
for 17, hitting a catch to Young, leaving Australia at 5/265.Fingleton, p. 188. The Warwickshire spinner noticed this, and delivered a topspinner
that dipped more than usual, and the batsman mistimed his off-drive, which went in the air towards mid-off. Australia finished at 389 and then bowled England out for 188 to complete victory by an innings and 149 runs and seal the series 4–0.
and Harvey made 60, including a 104-run stand with Brown before falling at 4/283, part of a collapse in which Australia lost their last seven wickets for 89 to end at 361. Despite stumbling with the bat, the tourists completed an innings victory. In the next match against the Gentlemen of England, Harvey was rested as Australia amassed 5/610 and won by an innings. He returned for the match against Somerset
, putting on 187 for the second wicket with Hassett in 110 minutes. Harvey hit 14 fours and 2 sixes, both of which came in one over, in top-scoring with a "glorious" 126 as Australia compiled 5/560 declared and won by an innings and 374 runs.Fingleton, p. 208. Harvey performed a similar feat in the following match against the South of England
, coming in at 3/237 and scoring 110, adding 175 in 110 minutes in conjunction with Hassett, who also made a second successive century as Australia declared at 7/522. Harvey reached his century in just 90 minutes. The match was washed out, but not before Harvey bowled for the first time during the tour and took his only first-class wicket for the season, that of Trevor Bailey
. He ended with 1/15.
Australia's biggest challenge in the post-Test tour matches was against the Leveson-Gower's XI. During the last Australian tour in 1938, Leveson-Gower’s team was effectively a full-strength England outfit, but this time Bradman insisted that only six current England Test players be allowed to play. Bradman then fielded a full-strength team, with the only difference from the Fifth Test team being the inclusion of Ian Johnson
at the expense of Doug Ring
. Harvey made 23 before being bowled by Freddie Brown as the match ended in a draw after multiple rain delays. For the entire first-class tour, Harvey scored four centuries and aggregated 1,129 runs at 53.76.
The tour ended with two non-first-class matches against Scotland. In the first match, Harvey was rested as the Australians took an innings victory. In the second match, Harvey scored four and then took 2/13 in the second innings as Australia ended their campaign with another innings victory.
At the age of 19, Harvey was the youngest player of the touring party—more than six and half years younger than all the other members of the squad. An attacking left-handed middle-order batsman, Harvey had become the youngest Australian to score a Test century, by making 153 in the Fifth Test against India in the preceding Australian summer. However, Harvey struggled early in the tour and had difficulty adapting to English conditions. After being omitted from the first-choice team in the early part of the tour, Harvey's performances improved with increasing familiarity with local conditions, and he was called into the team for the Fourth Test, where he batted at No. 5 behind Miller and in front of Loxton due to the injury to Barnes. Upon Barnes’ return for the Fifth Test, the trio were each pushed down one position.
Overall, Harvey ended with 1,129 runs at 53.76 in the first-class matches with four centuries, placing him sixth on the aggregates and seventh in the batting averages. He played the bulk of his 27 first-class innings between No. 4 and No. 6 in the batting order. Only three times did he bat elsewhere. He scored an unbeaten 73 in less than an hour in the second innings of the second match against Surrey as a makeshift opener, setting up a ten-wicket victory. He made 23 batting at No. 3 against Oxford University and one against Hampshire while batting at No. 7.N-
Harvey was an acrobatic fielder, regarded as the best in the Australian team. Fingleton said that Harvey was "by far the most brilliant fieldsman of both sides, who was to save many runs in the field". O'Reilly agreed Fingleton that Harvey was Australia's best fielder by far, Arlott went further, calling Harvey the best fielder in the world. He was twelfth man in the early Tests because of his fielding ability, before breaking into the playing XI and taking several acclaimed catches throughout the tour. He took 17 catches for the tour and claimed a solitary wicket with his occasional off spin
, bowling only ten overs for the entire summer.
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
was a member of Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
's famous Australian cricket team, which toured England in 1948 and was undefeated in their 34 matches. This unprecedented feat by a Test side touring England earned them the sobriquet The Invincibles.
Aged 19, Harvey was the youngest player of the touring party. An attacking left-handed middle-order batsman
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
, he had become the youngest Australian to score a Test century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
by compiling 153 in the Fifth Test against India in the preceding Australian summer of 1947–48. However, Harvey struggled early on in the tour, having difficulty adapting to English conditions. After being omitted from the first-choice team in the first half of the tour, Harvey's performances improved with his increasing familiarity with local conditions and he was called into the team for the Fourth Test at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
after an injury to Sid Barnes
Sid Barnes
Sidney George Barnes was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War...
. Harvey scored 112 in a first innings counter-attack to keep Australia in contention after they had suffered a top-order collapse. Harvey hit the winning boundary
Boundary (cricket)
Boundary has two distinct meanings in the sport of cricket:# the edge or boundary of the playing field, and# a manner of scoring runs.-Edge of the field:...
in the second innings as Australia won the match with a Test world record successful run-chase of 3/404. He retained his place for the Fifth Test, ending the series with 133 runs at a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 66.50.
Overall, Harvey ended with 1,129 runs at 53.76 in the first-class matches
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
with four centuries, placing him sixth on the run-scoring aggregates and seventh in the batting averages for Australia. Harvey was an acrobatic fielder, regarded as the best in the Australian team. He was twelfth man in the Tests before he broke into the playing XI, and took several acclaimed catches throughout the tour. He took 17 catches for the tour and claimed a solitary wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
with his occasional off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
.
Background
A diminutive left-handed middle-order batsman, Harvey made his debut in first-class cricketFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
in the 1946–47 Australian season for his state Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
. The following year, at the age of 19, Harvey made his debut in the Fourth Test against India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
in Australia in 1947–48 after a series of impressive performances at domestic level. In the Fifth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
, he hit 153 to break Archie Jackson
Archie Jackson
Archibald "Archie" Jackson , occasionally known as Archibald Alexander Jackson, was an Australian cricketer who played eight Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1929 and 1931. A teenage prodigy, he played first grade cricket at only 15 years of age and was selected for New South Wales at 17...
's record for the youngest Australian to make a Test century. The innings ensured him a place on the 1948 Invincibles tour of England as the youngest member of the 17-man squad. He was more than six and a half years younger than the next youngest players of the team, Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris
Arthur Robert Morris MBE is a former Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side, which made an undefeated tour of...
and Bill Johnston
Bill Johnston (cricketer)
William Arras Johnston was an Australian cricketer who played in forty Test matches from 1947 to 1955. A left arm pace bowler, as well as a left arm orthodox spinner, Johnston was best known as a spearhead of Don Bradman's undefeated 1948 touring team, well known as "The Invincibles"...
.Cashman, pp. 118, 153, 174, 176, 215–216. Speaking about Harvey's selection, his captain and one of three selectors Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
opined "He has the brilliance and daring of youth, and the likelihood of rapid improvement".
Early tour
Australia traditionally fielded its first-choice team in the tour opener, which was customarily against WorcestershireWorcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
. Despite scoring a century in Australia’s most recent Test, Harvey was made 12th man and it appeared that he was not initially in Bradman's Test plans. Australia promptly crushed the hosts by an innings.Fingleton, p. 42.
Harvey made his debut on English soil in the second tour match against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
. Batting at No. 5, he came in at 3/316 and made 12, struggling against the local spinners
Spin bowling
Spin bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as spinners or spin bowlers.-Purpose:The main aim of spin bowling is to bowl the cricket ball with rapid rotation so that when it bounces on the pitch it will deviate, thus making it difficult for the...
,Fingleton, p. 50. as Australia collapsed to end on 448 before winning by an innings. Harvey played a key role in Australia's victory in the next match against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, on a damp pitch
Sticky wicket
Sticky wicket is a metaphor used to describe a difficult circumstance; it originates from difficult circumstances in the sport of cricket.-Origins:...
that suited slower bowling.Fingleton, pp. 53–55. Harvey took two catches in the home side's first innings of 71. He made seven in the first innings as Australia replied with 101. After the hosts were bowled out for 89 in their second innings, Australia collapsed to 4/20 in pursuit of 60 for victory. No sooner had Harvey walked out to bat at No. 6, stand-in captain Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
—Bradman rested himself for the match—top-edged a pull shot and was caught to leave Australia at 5/20. To make matters worse, Sam Loxton
Sam Loxton
Samuel John Everett "Sam" Loxton OBE is a former Australian cricketer, footballer and politician. Among these three pursuits, his greatest achievements were attained on the cricket field; he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951...
was injured and could not bat, so Australia were effectively six wickets down and faced their first loss to an English county since 1912.Fingleton, p. 55. Harvey had scored a solitary run when he hit a ball to Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
at short leg, who dived forwards and grabbed it with both hands before dropping it. Harvey then swept the next ball for a boundary. Colin McCool
Colin McCool
Colin Leslie McCool was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Tests from 1946 to 1950. McCool, born in Paddington, New South Wales, was an all-rounder who bowled leg spin and googlies with a round arm action and as a lower order batsman was regarded as effective square of the wicket and against...
was out at 6/31 before Harvey and wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
Don Tallon
Don Tallon
Donald "Don" Tallon was an Australian cricketer who played 21 Test matches as a wicket-keeper between 1946 and 1953...
steadied Australia. Harvey was reprieved on 12; he took several steps down the pitch to the bowling of Frank Smailes
Frank Smailes
Frank Smailes was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire, and one Test for England...
and missed, but the wicketkeeper fumbled the stumping
Stump (cricket)
Stump is a term used in the sport of cricket where it has three different meanings:# part of the wicket# a manner of dismissing a batsman# the end of the day's play .-Part of the wicket:...
opportunity. Harvey then hit the winning runs by lifting Smailes for a six over the sightscreen, ending unbeaten on 18 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
.Fingleton, p. 56.
The Australians travelled to London to play Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. Harvey scored seven and struggled in contrast to the rest of the Australians, who prospered to total 632, laying the foundation for an innings victory. Harvey took three catches in the match, including two leaping catches in the second innings with his hands above his head. His feats prompted the local spectators to say that such acrobatic catches had never been seen at The Oval.Fingleton, p. 62. The home team's captain Stuart Surridge
Stuart Surridge
Walter Stuart Surridge was a cricketer who played for Surrey. He was born at Herne Hill in south London, educated at Emanuel School, and died at Glossop in Derbyshire....
lofted a drive down the ground, and Harvey ran 25 m from wide long-on
Fielding (cricket)
Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the batsman, in such a way as to either limit the number of runs that the batsman scores or get the batsman out by catching the ball in flight or running the batsman out.Cricket fielding position...
and leapt in the air to catch the ball, which would have cleared the boundary. Harvey managed only 16 before being run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
while batting with Bill Brown
Bill Brown (cricketer)
William Alfred "Bill" Brown, OAM was an Australian cricketer who played 22 Tests between 1934 and 1948, captaining his country in one Test. A right-handed opening batsman, his partnership with Jack Fingleton in the 1930s is regarded as one of the finest in Australian Test history...
as Australia piled on 4/414 declared
Declaration and forfeiture
In the sport of cricket a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture is when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 14 of the Laws of cricket...
and defeated Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
by an innings in the following match.
Harvey was then rested as Australia crushed Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
by an innings and 451 runs, its largest winning margin for the summer. During this match, the other batsmen set a world record for the most first-class runs scored in one day’s play, adding 721 on the opening day. Harvey returned for the innings victory against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
, but scored only 23 as Australia amassed 431 in their only opportunity at the batting crease.
The next match was against the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
at Lord's. The MCC fielded seven players who would represent England in the Tests, and were basically a full strength Test team, while Australia fielded their first-choice team. It was a chance to gain a psychological advantage, and given Harvey's early struggles in English conditions and his failure to pass 25 in his first six innings, he was overlooked as Australia amassed 552 and won by an innings.
After asking Bradman about the reason for his difficulties with the bat, Harvey was told that these were caused by rash shot selection and a tendency to hit the ball in the air. Bradman said "He was technically perfect in his shot production. He was batting well enough and simply getting out early." Harvey adapted his style and improved his performance. In the next match, he scored 36 and 76 not out on a turning pitch against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
at Old Trafford in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, putting on an unbroken century partnership
Partnership (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in partnership, although only one is on strike at any time. The partnership between two batsmen will come to an end when one of them is dismissed or retires, or the innings comes to a close In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in...
with Ron Hamence
Ron Hamence
Ronald Arthur Hamence was a cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. A short and compact right-handed batsman, Hamence excelled in getting forward to drive and had an array of attractive back foot strokes...
in the second innings as the match ended in a draw. Harvey was rested for the following match against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
, which was also drawn.
Harvey returned in the next fixture against Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
and made one as Australia were dismissed for 117 in reply to the home side's 195. It was the first time the tourists had conceded a first innings lead on the tour. However, Harvey did not get another chance with the bat as Australia recovered to win by eight wickets.
Test omission
Harvey had one last chance to make his case for Test selection in the match at HoveHove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
. It was the final county fixture before the First Test at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
. He came to the crease at 3/360 and put on stands of 93 and 97 with Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
and Hamence respectively to finish unbeaten on 100 in only 115 minutes. Australia declared at 5/549 when Harvey reached three figures and went on to complete an innings victory. Former Australian Test batsman Jack Fingleton
Jack Fingleton
John "Jack" Henry Webb Fingleton OBE was an Australian cricketer who was trained as a journalist and became a political and cricket commentator after the end of his playing career...
described Harvey's innings as "a superb century, rich in youthful daring and stroke production".Fingleton, p. 79. Harvey later rated it his best innings of the tour excluding the Test matches.
Up to this point, the reserve opener Brown had scored 800 runs on tour at an average of 72.72, with a double century, three other centuries and 81 not out, and was on his third tour of England. In contrast, Harvey had totalled only 296 runs at 42.29 despite his unbeaten 100 against Sussex.
Brown thus gained selection for the First Test, batting out of position in the middle order while Sid Barnes
Sid Barnes
Sidney George Barnes was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War...
and Morris opened, whereas Harvey was dropped despite making a century in Australia's most recent Test against India. This was the exact situation that had unfolded in the Worcestershire and MCC matches when Australia fielded their first-choice team; Harvey did not play and Brown batted out of position in the middle order. There was a chance of Harvey receiving a last-minute call-up when Barnes was ill with food poisoning in the week leading up to the Test, but the opener recovered.
Despite his omission, Harvey spent a large amount of the Test substituting as twelfth man for paceman Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
, who succumbed to a hamstring injury in the first innings. Lindwall was nevertheless able to jog between the wickets when Australia batted, without needing a runner
Runner (cricket)
In cricket, a runner is a team member who runs between the wickets for an injured batsman.When a runner is used, the batsman stands in position and plays shots as normal, but does not attempt to run between the wickets: the runner runs for him...
, but he did not take the field in the second innings. Fingleton said that Harvey was "by far the most brilliant fieldsman of both sides" and that Australia gained a substantial advantage through his presence on the ground. England captain Norman Yardley
Norman Yardley
Norman Walter Dransfield Yardley was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England, as a right-handed batsman and occasional bowler. An amateur, he captained Yorkshire from 1948 to 1955 and England on fourteen occasions between 1947 and 1950,...
was sceptical as to whether Lindwall was sufficiently injured to be unable to field, but he did not formally object to the presence of Harvey. Former Australian Test cricket Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (cricketer)
William Joseph "Bill" O'Reilly , often known as Tiger O'Reilly, was an Australian cricketer, rated as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. Following his retirement from playing, he became a well-respected cricket writer and broadcaster.O'Reilly was one of the best spin bowlers to...
said that Lindwall was demonstrably not "incapacitated" and that Yardley "must be condemned for carrying his concepts of sportsmanship too far".O'Reilly, p. 42. O'Reilly decried the benefit that Australia derived through the substitution, agreeing with Fingleton that Harvey was the tourists' best fielder by far. English commentator John Arlott
John Arlott
Leslie Thomas John Arlott OBE was an English journalist, author and cricket commentator for the BBC's Test Match Special. He was also a poet, wine connoisseur and former police officer in Hampshire...
went further, calling Harvey the best fielder in the world.Arlott, p. 41. Australia went on to defeat England by eight wickets although Brown made only 17.
Between Tests, Harvey was called in for the match against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
, scoring only 14, while Brown was rested as Australia won by an innings. In the second match before the next Test, which was against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
, Harvey made 49 and 56 while Brown made 19 and 113 as an opener. Harvey hit the ball to all parts of the ground and Fingleton opined that "[Harvey] probably gained the respect of this most discerning crowd more quickly than any other cricketer in recent years".Fingleton, p. 193. However, Brown retained his middle-order position for the Second Test at Lord's ahead of Harvey; Australia fielded an unchanged team. O'Reilly criticised the retention of Brown, who had appeared to be noticeably uncomfortable in the unfamiliar role. He said that despite the fact that Brown had made an unbeaten double century on his previous Test at Lord's in 1938, Loxton and Harvey had better claims to selection.O'Reilly, p. 59. Bradman’s men went on to a crushing win by 409 runs, although Brown made only 24 and 32 in the middle order.
The next match was against Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
and started the day after the Second Test. Brown injured a finger while fielding in the first innings, so he was not able to bat in Australia's first innings, in which Harvey made 43 before being run out. In the second innings, Harvey caught Surrey captain Errol Holmes
Errol Holmes
Errol Reginald Thorold Holmes, born at Calcutta on 21 August 1905 and died in London on 16 August 1960, was a cricketer who played for Oxford University, Surrey and England....
from a leaping catch, snaffling the ball as it flew through a flock of pigeons.Fingleton, p. 196. On the final day, Australia wanted to finish the run-chase quickly so they could watch the Australian John Bromwich
John Bromwich
John Edward Bromwich was a male tennis player from Australia who, along with his countryman Vivian McGrath, was one of the first great players to use a two-handed forehand....
play in the Wimbledon tennis
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
final. Harvey volunteered to play as a makeshift opener alongside Sam Loxton
Sam Loxton
Samuel John Everett "Sam" Loxton OBE is a former Australian cricketer, footballer and politician. Among these three pursuits, his greatest achievements were attained on the cricket field; he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951...
and promised Bradman that he would reach the target quickly. Australia chased down the 122 runs needed for victory in just 58 minutes to complete a 10-wicket win in just 20.1 overs. Harvey ended unbeaten on 73 and the Australians arrived at Wimbledon in time for the championship-deciding match.
For the following match against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
before the Third Test, Brown did not play. Harvey came to the crease at 3/304 and put on 164 for the fourth wicket before his partner Morris was out for 294. He put on another 63 with Loxton before falling for 95. During his innings, Harvey repeatedly advanced out of the crease to attack the spinners. Loxton ended on 159 not out as Australia reached 7/774 declared, their highest score of the tour, which underpinned a dominant innings victory. Harvey and the other Australian batsmen repeatedly left their crease to charge and attack the off spin of Tom Goddard
Tom Goddard
Tom Goddard was the fifth highest wicket taker in first-class cricket....
, who ended with 0/186. Goddard had been touted as a possible England selection because the bowlers used in the first two Tests had failed to challenge the supremacy of Australia’s batsmen, but the tourists’ attack ended his prospects. Loxton's innings earned him Brown's middle-order position for the Third Test at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, which was a rain-affected draw.
Fourth Test
During the drawn Third Test, Barnes was injured and Ian JohnsonIan Johnson (cricketer)
Ian William Geddes Johnson CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a slow off-break bowler between 1946 and 1956. Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an average of...
was used as a makeshift opener because Morris was the only specialist opener left in the team after the omission of Brown. In the meantime, Barnes's injury had opened up a vacancy for the Fourth Test. Harvey managed only ten and Brown only eight as Australia defeated Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
by ten wickets in their only county match between Tests.
Despite his low score in the preceding match against Middlesex, Harvey was called into the team for the Fourth Test at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
at the expense of Barnes. The selectors had overlooked Brown as a replacement for Barnes's opening position. Instead, vice-captain Hassett would move from the middle-order to accompany Morris at the top of the innings, while Harvey would slot into the middle-order.
England batted first and amassed 496. Australia began their reply on the second afternoon and Bradman and Hassett saw the tourists to stumps at 1/63. The next morning, Hassett and Bradman fell in one Dick Pollard
Dick Pollard
Richard "Dick" Pollard was an English cricketer born in Westhoughton, Lancashire, who played in four Tests between 1946 and 1948...
over to leave Australia at 3/68 with two new batsmen at the crease. Harvey came in bareheaded at No. 5 to join cavalier all rounder Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
. Australia were more than 400 behind and if England were to remove the pair, they would expose Australia's lower order and give themselves an opportunity to take a large first innings lead. Upon arriving in the middle, Harvey told his senior partner "What's going on out here, eh? Let's get stuck into 'em".Perry, p. 245.Fingleton, p. 161. Harvey got off the mark by forcing the ball behind point for a single.
The pair launched a counterattack, with Miller taking the lead. He hoisted off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
ner Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
's first ball over square leg for six. Miller shielded Harvey from Laker, as the young batsman was struggling against the off break
Off break
Off break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is the attacking delivery of an off spin bowler. Off breaks are known as off spinners....
s that were turning away from him, especially one ball that spun and bounced, beating his outside edge.Fingleton, p. 162. Miller drilled an off-drive from Laker for four, and then hit another flat over his head, almost for six into the sightscreen. This allowed Australia to seize the initiative, and Harvey joined the fightback during the next over
Over (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it is completed by a teammate....
, hitting consecutive boundaries against Laker, the second of which almost cleared the playing area. He then took another boundary to reach 44, with Miller on 42.Fingleton, p. 163. Miller then lifted Laker for a six over long off, and a four over long on from Yardley to reach 54. Miller drove the next ball through cover for four. Yardley responded by stacking the on side
Leg side
The leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket.From the point of view of a right-handed batsman facing the bowler, it is the left hand side of the cricket field...
with outfielders and bowling outside leg stump
Leg theory
Leg theory is a bowling tactic in the sport of cricket. The term leg theory is somewhat archaic and seldom used any more, but the basic tactic still plays a part in modern cricket....
, challenging Miller to another hit for six. The batsman obliged, but edged the ball and was caught at short fine leg for 58.Perry, p. 246.Arlott, pp. 108–109. The partnership yielded 121 runs in 90 minutes, and was likened by Wisden
Wisden
The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
to a "hurricane". Fingleton said that he had never "known a more enjoyable hour" of "delectable cricket".Fingleton, pp. 162–163. O'Reilly said that Miller and Harvey had counter-attacked with "such joyful abandon that it would have been difficult, if not absolutely impossible, to gather from their methods of going about it that they were actually retrieving a tremendously difficult situation". Arlott said that "two of the greatest innings of all Test cricket were being played" during the partnership.Arlott, p. 108.
At 4/189 Loxton came in to join Harvey, who continued to attack the bowling, unperturbed by Miller's demise. Ken Cranston
Ken Cranston
Kenneth "Ken" Cranston was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Lancashire and eight times for England, in 1947 and 1948. He retired from playing cricket to concentrate on his career as a dentist....
came on to bowl and Harvey square drove and then hooked to deep square leg for consecutive boundaries. Yardley then moved a man from fine leg to where the hook had gone; Harvey responded by glancing a ball to the fielder’s former position, collecting three more runs. Australia thus went to lunch at 4/204, with Harvey on 70.Fingleton, p. 164.
After lunch, Australia scored slowly as Loxton struggled. Yardley took the new ball
Cricket ball
A cricket ball is a hard, solid leather ball used to play cricket. Constructed of cork and leather, a cricket ball is heavily regulated by cricket law at first class level...
in an attempt to trouble the batsmen with livelier bowling, but instead, Loxton began to settle in. He lofted Pollard to the leg side, almost for six, and then hit three boundaries off another over. Harvey accelerated as well, and 80 minutes into the middle session, reached his century to a loud reception as Australia passed 250. Harvey’s knock had taken 177 minutes and included 14 fours.Fingleton, p. 165. Loxton then dominated the scoring and brought up his 50 with a six. The partnership yielded 105 in only 95 minutes. Harvey was eventually out for 112 from 183 balls, bowled by Laker while playing a cross-batted sweep. His shot selection prompted Bradman to throw his head back in disappointment.Fingleton, p. 166. Nevertheless, it was an innings noted for powerful driving on both sides of the wicket and the high rate of scoring helped to swing the match back from England's firm control. Harvey fell at 5/294, and Australia slumped to 8/355 before a counterattack by Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
saw them to 458, restricting England's lead to 38. O'Reilly said that Harvey's innings was one of "no inhibitions" and that it was "completely unspoiled by any preconceived plan to eliminate any particular shot". He added that it was "the very mirror of truth in the batting art", "delightfully untrammeled by the scourage of good advice or any other handicapping influence", and that Harvey's innings was the most pleasing he had seen since Stan McCabe
Stan McCabe
Stanley Joseph McCabe was an Australian cricketer who played 39 Test matches for Australia from 1930 to 1938. A short, stocky right-hander,...
's 232 at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
in 1938.
England then progressed to 0/129 in their second innings before Harvey intervened. On 65, Cyril Washbrook
Cyril Washbrook
Cyril Washbrook was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire and England. He had a long career, split by World War II, and ending when he was aged 44. Washbrook, who is most famous for opening the batting for England with Len Hutton, which he did fifty one times, played a total of 592...
attempted a hook from Bill Johnston
Bill Johnston (cricketer)
William Arras Johnston was an Australian cricketer who played in forty Test matches from 1947 to 1955. A left arm pace bowler, as well as a left arm orthodox spinner, Johnston was best known as a spearhead of Don Bradman's undefeated 1948 touring team, well known as "The Invincibles"...
. Connecting with the middle of the bat, he imparted much power on the ball, which flew flat and never went more than six metres above the ground, but Harvey quickly ran across the ground and bent over to catch the ball at ankle height while still on the run. Jack Fingleton
Jack Fingleton
John "Jack" Henry Webb Fingleton OBE was an Australian cricketer who was trained as a journalist and became a political and cricket commentator after the end of his playing career...
said that it "was the catch of the season—or, indeed, would have been had Harvey not turned on several magnificent aerial performances down at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
[against Surrey]". O’Reilly doubted "whether any other player on either side could have made the distance to get to the ball, let alone make a neat catch of it". He added that the "hook was a beauty and the catch was a classic".O'Reilly, p. 134. Later in the day, captain Yardley was caught by a leaping Harvey while attempting a lofted shot from Johnston.Fingleton, p. 172.
After five minutes on the final morning, Yardley declared
Declaration and forfeiture
In the sport of cricket a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture is when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 14 of the Laws of cricket...
at 8/365. Batting into the final day allowed Yardley to ask the groundsman to use a heavy roller
Road roller
A road roller is a compactor type engineering vehicle used to compact soil, gravel, concrete, or asphalt in the construction of roads and foundations, similar rollers are used also at landfills or in agriculture.In some parts of the world, road rollers are still known colloquially as steam...
, which would help to break up the wicket, thereby causing more uneven bounce and making the surface more likely to spin. The declaration left Australia to chase 404 runs for victory. At the time, this would have been the highest ever fourth innings score to result in a Test victory for the batting side. Australia had only 345 minutes to reach the target, and the local press wrote them off, predicting that they would be dismissed by lunchtime on a deteriorating wicket expected to favour the spin bowlers. However, Morris partnered Bradman in a stand of 301 in 217 minutes to set up the win, although they were helped by England’s fielders, who missed several catching and stumping chances. Harvey came to the crease at 3/396 and got off the mark by hitting the winning boundary.
Immediately after the Headingley Test, Harvey made 32 in a fleet-footed cameo attack against the local spinners as Australia amassed 456 and defeated Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
by an innings. In the next match against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
, he came to the crease at the fall of third wicket and made nine runs before rain ended the match in the second innings. Harvey then made a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
, bowled by a big-turning leg break
Leg break
A leg break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. A delivery of a right-handed leg spin bowler. Leg breaks are also colloquially known as leggies or wrist spinners, as the wrist is the body part which is primarily used to impart spin on the ball, as opposed to the fingers in the case of...
from Eric Hollies
Eric Hollies
William Eric Hollies was an English cricketer, who is mainly remembered for taking the wicket of Donald Bradman for a duck in Bradman's final Test match innings, in which only four was needed for a Test average of 100...
in the first innings as Australia defeated Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
by nine wickets; he was not required to bat in the second innings.Perry (2008), p. 216. Harvey was then rested as Australia faced and drew with Lancashire for the second time on the tour. He returned for the non-first-class match against Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
, scoring two out of Australia's 282 in a rain-affected draw, which ended after the first day without reaching the second innings.
Fifth Test
Although he had only scored 41 runs in four innings between Tests, Harvey was retained for the Fifth and final Test at The Oval. England elected to bat on a rain-affected pitch. Precipitation in the week leading up to the match had delayed the start, and Yardley’s decision to bat was regarded as a surprise, as the weather suggested that bowlers would enjoy the conditions. This proved to be correct as Australia cut England down for 52 on the first day, with Lindwall (6/20) in particular managing to make the ball bounce at variable heights. Australia had already passed England by the close of play, reaching 2/153. The next day, Harvey came to the crease at 4/243 and quickly displayed the exuberance of youth. He hit Jack YoungJack Young (cricketer)
John Albert "Jack" Young was an English cricketer, who played for Middlesex and England. His first-class cricket career lasted from 1933 to 1956....
for a straight-driven four and then pulled him for another. Harvey then succumbed to Eric Hollies
Eric Hollies
William Eric Hollies was an English cricketer, who is mainly remembered for taking the wicket of Donald Bradman for a duck in Bradman's final Test match innings, in which only four was needed for a Test average of 100...
for 17, hitting a catch to Young, leaving Australia at 5/265.Fingleton, p. 188. The Warwickshire spinner noticed this, and delivered a topspinner
Topspinner
A top-spinner is a type of delivery bowled by a cricketer bowling either wrist spin or finger spin. In either case, the bowler imparts the ball with top spin by twisting it with his or her fingers prior to delivery...
that dipped more than usual, and the batsman mistimed his off-drive, which went in the air towards mid-off. Australia finished at 389 and then bowled England out for 188 to complete victory by an innings and 149 runs and seal the series 4–0.
Later tour matches
Seven matches remained on Bradman's quest to go through a tour of England without defeat. Australia batted first against KentKent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
and Harvey made 60, including a 104-run stand with Brown before falling at 4/283, part of a collapse in which Australia lost their last seven wickets for 89 to end at 361. Despite stumbling with the bat, the tourists completed an innings victory. In the next match against the Gentlemen of England, Harvey was rested as Australia amassed 5/610 and won by an innings. He returned for the match against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
, putting on 187 for the second wicket with Hassett in 110 minutes. Harvey hit 14 fours and 2 sixes, both of which came in one over, in top-scoring with a "glorious" 126 as Australia compiled 5/560 declared and won by an innings and 374 runs.Fingleton, p. 208. Harvey performed a similar feat in the following match against the South of England
South of England cricket team
The South of England appeared in first-class cricket between 1836 and 1961, most often in the showcase North v. South matches against the North of England although there were also games against touring teams, MCC and others....
, coming in at 3/237 and scoring 110, adding 175 in 110 minutes in conjunction with Hassett, who also made a second successive century as Australia declared at 7/522. Harvey reached his century in just 90 minutes. The match was washed out, but not before Harvey bowled for the first time during the tour and took his only first-class wicket for the season, that of Trevor Bailey
Trevor Bailey
Trevor Edward Bailey CBE was an England Test cricketer, cricket writer and broadcaster.An all-rounder, Bailey was known for his skilful but unspectacular batting...
. He ended with 1/15.
Australia's biggest challenge in the post-Test tour matches was against the Leveson-Gower's XI. During the last Australian tour in 1938, Leveson-Gower’s team was effectively a full-strength England outfit, but this time Bradman insisted that only six current England Test players be allowed to play. Bradman then fielded a full-strength team, with the only difference from the Fifth Test team being the inclusion of Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson (cricketer)
Ian William Geddes Johnson CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a slow off-break bowler between 1946 and 1956. Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an average of...
at the expense of Doug Ring
Doug Ring
Douglas Thomas Ring was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia in 13 Tests from 1948 to 1953...
. Harvey made 23 before being bowled by Freddie Brown as the match ended in a draw after multiple rain delays. For the entire first-class tour, Harvey scored four centuries and aggregated 1,129 runs at 53.76.
The tour ended with two non-first-class matches against Scotland. In the first match, Harvey was rested as the Australians took an innings victory. In the second match, Harvey scored four and then took 2/13 in the second innings as Australia ended their campaign with another innings victory.
Role
Overall, Harvey ended with 1,129 runs at 53.76 in the first-class matches with four centuries, placing him sixth on the aggregates and seventh in the batting averages. He played the bulk of his 27 first-class innings between No. 4 and No. 6 in the batting order. Only three times did he bat elsewhere. He scored an unbeaten 73 in less than an hour in the second innings of the second match against Surrey as a makeshift opener, setting up a ten-wicket victory. He made 23 batting at No. 3 against Oxford University and one against Hampshire while batting at No. 7.N-
Harvey was an acrobatic fielder, regarded as the best in the Australian team. Fingleton said that Harvey was "by far the most brilliant fieldsman of both sides, who was to save many runs in the field". O'Reilly agreed Fingleton that Harvey was Australia's best fielder by far, Arlott went further, calling Harvey the best fielder in the world. He was twelfth man in the early Tests because of his fielding ability, before breaking into the playing XI and taking several acclaimed catches throughout the tour. He took 17 catches for the tour and claimed a solitary wicket with his occasional off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
, bowling only ten overs for the entire summer.