Famous Cricketers No 40 - Neil Harvey

made only 2 and another at 100. In the second innings J.H.Shaw retired hurt with the score at 7 and McDonald (59) and Harvey, 76 in 102 minutes with 11 fours, took the score to 124. The final Shield match of the season, against Western Australia, saw McDonald (92) and Harvey (142 in 251 minutes with 10 fours) share another big stand for the second wicket, this time 188. This completed a run of six innings during which he scored 612 runs at an average of 102. His place in the touring side, his third, was assured. On the first day at Launceston Tasmania bowled out the Australian XI for 196 and were 77/6 themselves. On the rest day Harvey cut his hand playing golf and missed the final two days. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 162. Victoria v Queensland, Junction Oval, Melbourne, December 9, 10, 12, 13 (Victoria won by 6 wickets) st A.T.W.Grout b J.Lihou 74 304 281 1 b J.D.Bratchford 5 138-4 160 163. Victoria v New South Wales, Junction Oval, Melbourne, December 24, 26, (27), (28) (Match drawn) c O.Lambert b W.P.A.Crawford 27 277 124-3 164. Victoria v South Australia, Junction Oval, Melbourne, December (31), January (2), 3, 4 (Match drawn) b D.M.Gregg 3 249-9 196-9d 1 165. R.R.Lindwall’s XI v I.W.Johnson’s XI, Sydney, January 13, 14, 16, 17 (R.R.Lindwall’s XI won by two wickets) c R.B.Simpson b A.K.Davidson 10 435 510 1 c I.W.Johnson b J.W.Rutherford 96 229-8 152-3d 166. Victoria v South Australia, Adelaide, January (20), 21, 23, 24 (Match drawn) c G.R.A.Langley b J.Drennan 147 400-9d 278 1 220-6 167. Victoria v New South Wales, Sydney, January 28, 30, 31, February 1 (Match drawn) c I.D.Craig b A.K.Davidson 128 340 415 1 c R.B.Simpson b J.W.Burke 76 300 121-7 168. Victoria v Queensland, Brisbane, February 3, 4, (6), (7) (Match drawn) b J.E.Freeman 23 203 271-4 169. Victoria v Western Australia, Junction Oval, Melbourne, February 10, 11, 13, 14 (Victoria won by an innings and 192 runs) b A.T.Preen 142 525 152 181 170. Australian XI v Tasmania, Launceston, March 17, 19, 20 (Australian XI won by 229 runs) b W.S.Hird 18 196 123 absent hurt - 249 93 171. Australian XI v Western Australia, Perth, March 28, 29, 31 (Match drawn) c A.R.Edwards b R.B.Strauss 2 185 267 b R.B.Strauss 21 198-5 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Sheffield Shield 7 9 0 625 147 69.44 3 2 5 Other matches 3 5 0 147 96 29.40 - 1 1 1955/56 10 14 0 772 147 55.14 3 3 6 Career 171 259 23 12789 205 54.19 40 57 89 1956 - Australians in England This turned out to be, by far, Harvey’s worst trip to England. During the tour forty-three days were rain interrupted including thirteen completely blank days; he failed to reach 1000 runs for the tour, made 503 (51.53%) of his 976 runs in just four innings and in twenty of his thirty-two innings on the tour he failed to reach twenty. By the time he reached Lord’s for the M.C.C. match, where he had only once before made a fifty, he had scored only 81 runs in six innings. Although starting his innings 24