Famous Cricketers No 40 - Neil Harvey

SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Sheffield Shield 7 13 0 530 101 40.76 1 3 2 Other match 1 2 0 109 72 54.50 - 1 2 1953/54 8 15 0 639 101 42.60 1 4 4 Career 139 209 19 10219 205 53.78 33 44 72 Bowling O M R W BB Ave Sheffield Shield 3 0 24 0 - - Other match 2 1 2 0 - - 1953/54 (8-ball) 5 1 26 0 - - Career (8-ball) 95.7 8 } 462 13 3/9 35.53 (6-ball) 32 10 1954/55 For the third time Harvey passed 1000 runs in an Australian season. Success in the Test series was limited to two innings. At Brisbane England selected a side containing only four quick bowlers and then put Australia in to bat. Harvey batted for 380 minutes and hit 162 with 1 five and 17 fours, his highest innings against England and his first century against them in Australia. It was not one of his best; he was dropped at 58, 103 and 153 and could have been run out with more accurate throwing. He shared in partnerships of 202 with A.R.Morris (153) and 131 with G.B.Hole (57). In the Second Test he played one of his finest innings for Australia. Left with 223 for victory in the fourth innings Australia began the last day needing 151 to win with eight wickets to fall. In the first over of the day F.H.Tyson virtually won the game for England by bowling J.W.Burke with his third ball and G.B.Hole with his seventh. R.Benaud was caught off R.Appleyard and at lunch Australia were 106-5 with Harvey 51*. In the fifty minutes after lunch England removed R.G.Archer, A.K.Davidson, R.R.Lindwall and G.R.A.Langley for 27 leaving Australia 145-9. Joined by W.A.Johnston Harvey contrived to take most of the strike until at 184 Johnston finally flicked a catch to Evans having faced only sixteen of eighty balls. Harvey batted for 259 minutes and hit nine fours in his 92*, half the Australian total. After this innings he managed to score only another 88 runs in six Test innings. Despite his Test match appearances he scored most runs in the Shield (401 at 57.28) with five fifties in his seven innings, including his third successive ninety in games against Queensland. In the match against New South Wales at Melbourne he scored 62 in each innings, and was out c Davidson b Benaud in one and c Benaud b Davidson in the other. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 140. Combined XI v M.C.C., Perth, October 22, 23, 25 (M.C.C. won by an innings and 62 runs) c T.G.Evans b T.E.Bailey 3 86 1 0 8 0 311 1 c T.G.Evans b T.E.Bailey 8 163 141. Australian XI v M.C.C., Melbourne, November 5, 6, (8), (9), (10) (Match drawn) c T.G.Evans b J.B.Statham 4 167-7 205 2 142. Victoria v South Australia, Melbourne, November 19, (20), 22, 23 (Match drawn) b K.G.Horsnell 69 311-7d 153 354-8d 2 143. AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND, Brisbane, November 26, 27, 29, 30, December 1 (Australia won by an innings and 154 runs) c T.E.Bailey b A.V.Bedser 162 601-8d 190 257 1 144. Victoria v M.C.C., Melbourne, December 10, 11, 13, 14 (Match drawn) b F.H.Tyson 59 277 312 not out 34 88-3 236-5d 145. AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND, Sydney, December 17, 18, 20, 21, 22 (England won by 38 runs) c M.C.Cowdrey b F.H.Tyson 12 228 154 not out 92 184 296 21