Lives in Cricket No 32 - Eric Rowan

63 Australian Challenge 1902. Most papers were predicting the tourists’ first defeat. The miracle duly arrived in the form of Neil Harvey. In a long career the left-hander played many fine innings, but none better than his effort in Durban on 24 January 1950. Following the dismissal of Morris for 44, hit wicket attempting to turn Tayfield to leg, the score stood at 95 for 4 when Sam Loxton joined Harvey and enjoyed an early life when he was dropped by keeper Billy Wade. Australian journalist Percy Beames was unimpressed with Wade’s work, describing him as ‘South Africa’s most costly luxury’. The miss proved to be the turning point of the match. Wade was replaced by George Fullerton for the final two Tests of the series. While the Victorian all-rounder stood firm, Harvey showed astounding technique, with his footwork and judgement rendering the South African spinners almost helpless. He worked the ball into gaps and ran like a hare between the wickets, and when the loose ball came along it invariably went to the boundary, although the damp outfield slowed the pace of many of his strokes. Neither the holes in the pitch nor the threat of an occasional shooter, nor the skills of the South African spinners seemed to have any effect on him. Beames wrote, ‘Harvey curbed his natural fluency for the patience and restraint of a veteran.’ Beames also commented on the South African attack. ‘Tayfield and Mann were able to turn the ball considerably, and their deliveries came through at uneven height and varying pace.’ Loxton was bowled by Mann for 54 after a partnership of 135 in 166 minutes. With over 100 needed to win the South Africans felt they remained favourites, but Harvey was still there, now joined by Colin McCool, a genuine all-rounder. The left-hander was on the verge of throwing his innings away through sheer exhaustion, but McCool, sensing the situation, walked up and simply said, ‘You’re staying’. The South Africans failed to capture another wicket and when the winning runs were scored Harvey was 151 not out. He had batted flawlessly for 325 minutes and hit 14 fours. Most who witnessed it maintained it was the finest innings they had ever seen. Hassett thought only McCabe’s 232 at Trent Bridge in 1938 was better. Harvey told the author he felt it to be his best. ‘I was only 21 years old and it taught me to put my head down and concentrate.’ It was an innings totally foreign to his aggressive and attacking nature. McCool did his job, remaining 39 not out, and the first-innings destroyer Tayfield could manage only 2 for 144 from 49 overs. For