Famous Cricketers No 40 - Neil Harvey

game was played before he had returned from Colombo after playing for the Commonwealth XI. The team was much the same as had had a triumphant season in England in 1950 and they arrived in Australia for what was virtually the cricket championship of the world. Harvey’s form slumped and he came to the Fourth Test having scored only 112 in six innings. In the match at Melbourne he rediscovered his form. Coming in with Australia 49-3 he played one of the best innings of his life. Using his feet splendidly he made 83 runs in two hours with fifteen fours before S.Ramadhin got him to drive straighter than intended and caught the return catch. Harvey and K.R.Miller (47) added 124 for the fourth wicket - 57.41% of the innings total, Miller playing the passive partner scoring only 35 to Harvey’s 82 while they were together. His highest score of the season was a brilliant 88 against the tourists for Victoria. Away from the first-class scene he had an outstanding game for Fitzroy in the VCA district semi-final against St. Kilda at the Junction Oval, St. Kilda. Batting first Fitzroy reached 424-8 on the first day with Harvey scoring 254 in 255 minutes with thirty-four boundaries. Brothers Mervyn, who captained Fitzroy, Ray and Harold all played in the match. St. Kilda were all out for 140 and in the second innings Harvey, despite giving several chances, made 126 in 152 minutes with sixteen fours. St. Kilda, set 554 to win, were dismissed for 137 with brother Ray taking 5-22. His 254 remains the highest individual score for a Fitzroy or Fitzroy-Doncaster player in VCA games. They lost in the final to Melbourne with Harvey scoring 76 and 19. This burst of scoring enabled him to total 575 runs at 57.50 and lead the VCA averages for the only time in his career. This season and 1955/56 were the only occasions that he headed the Fitzroy averages. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 81. AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES, Brisbane, November 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 (Australia won by three wickets) lbw b A.L.Valentine 18 226 216 b S.Ramadhim 35 236-7 245 1 82. Victoria v West Indians, Melbourne, November 23, 25, 26, (27) (Match drawn) run out (J.B.Stollmeyer) 9 195 - - - - 230 1 1 0 1 0 181-2 83. AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES, Sydney, November 30, December 1, 3, 4, 5 (Australia won by seven wickets) c G.E.Gomez b J.D.C.Goddard 39 517 362 lbw b F.M.M.Worrell 1 137-3 290 84. Victoria v New South Wales, Melbourne, December 7, 8, 10, 11 (Match drawn) b A.K.Walker 50 434 5 0 24 0 533 85. Victoria v New South Wales, Sydney, December 14, 15, 17, 18 (Match drawn) c K.R.Miller b R.Benaud 46 290 449 run out (A.K.Davidson/ G.S.Trueman) 1 416 166-7 86. AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES, Adelaide, December 22, 24, 25 (West Indies won by six wickets) c S.C.Guillen b G.E.Gomez 10 82 105 c S.C.Guillen b S.Ramadhin 9 255 233-4 87. AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES, Melbourne, December 31, January 1, 2, 3, 4 (Australia won by one wicket) c and b S.Ramadhin 83 216 272 b A.L.Valentine 33 260-9 203 88. Victoria v West Indians, Melbourne, January 18, 19, 21, 22 (West Indians won by four wickets) c W.Ferguson b D.St E.Atkinson 88 387 3 1 7 0 327 c J.B.Stollmeyer b A.L.Valentine 22 236-7d 6 0 40 0 297-6 89. AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES, Sydney, January 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 (Australia won by 202 runs) b G.E.Gomez 18 116 78 c S.C.Guillen b F.M.M.Worrell 8 377 213 1 14