Famous Cricketers No 40 - Neil Harvey

ROBERT NEIL HARVEY Robert Neil Harvey was born on Monday, October 8th, 1928, at Argyle Street in the industrial Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, the son of Horace and Edna May Harvey. Horace had left his native New South Wales in 1922 to settle in Victoria. Neil was the second youngest of a family of seven. Rita, the eldest and only girl in the family, Mervyn, Clarence and Harold were born in New South Wales while Ray, Neil and Brian were born in Fitzroy. Before coming to Victoria, father Horace had played club cricket in Newcastle and Broken Hill where he had a highest score of 198. Mervyn, Clarrie (Mick), Ray and Neil all played for Victoria, while Clarrie also played for Queensland (becoming a first-class umpire in 1974/75 and umpiring in Test matches) and Neil for New South Wales. All six brothers played First Grade Victorian Cricket Association cricket for Fitzroy. In his first year at Falconer Street Central School, North Fitzroy, Neil was picked to represent the school at nine years of age. The Fitzroy club donated a medallion to all the schools in the area to give to the school’s outstanding sportsman. The winner of the medallion could use the facilities of the Fitzroy club for that year, including net practice with the senior players. Harvey won his medallion at the age of twelve. The coaches at the club at this time were two players who had represented Victoria in the Sheffield Shield, Joe Plant and Arthur Liddicut, who helped the young Harvey enormously. The club ran five Elevens: Neil made his debut for the fifths in 1941 and progressed to the Third Grade in his first season. After a season in the Second Grade, he made his debut in the First Grade in 1943/44 at the age of fifteen. The following season he made his first century in the V.C.A. First Eleven - 100 against University at Fitzroy on February 3rd, 1945. By this time he was at Collingwood Technical College, with a growing reputation as a wicket-keeper/batsman, but on the advice of Liddicut he gave up wicket-keeping to concentrate on his batting. He made hundreds to open both the 1945/46 and 1946/47 seasons and in the latter he was picked for what was virtually the Victorian State Second Eleven to play in a first-class match against Tasmania. So began a very fine first-class career. Eldest brother Mervyn was the first of the Harveys to play for Victoria. He was normally an opening batsman, a free and delightful stroke-player. Perhaps he was a little unsound for cricket at the highest level, although he did play a Test against England at Adelaide in 1946/47 when S.G.Barnes had to drop out. His career was shortened by the war years; he played in only 22 matches, scoring three centuries. Neil followed him into the state side and in 1947/48 brother Ray joined them. Ray was a gifted player who could not quite reach the top level. The fourth brother, Clarrie, made his debut in 1948/49 before moving to Queensland in 1949/50. He was a much more solid batsman than his brothers, with a good defence but a suspect technique against the spinners. Neil was the only left-hander of the brothers; apart from cricket and golf, however, he does everything right-handed. In addition to his batting Harvey was always a brilliant fielder. When not on cricket tours, he spent his winters playing baseball for Fitzroy. He was once named in Australia’s baseball team although he did not play any matches. As a baseball infielder he developed his half round arm throw and also his habit of catching the ball above his head: the theory is that the catcher should never need to keep his eye off the ball and, should it bounce out the first time, he stands a better chance on the second attempt. In his later years, he became a first-class slip fielder. 4