Hailed as the next Bradman like many others, he is known as the player who never grew old.
Neil Harvey played a great deal of cricket with Richie Benaud in the eleven years from 1952 and served as his Lieutenant from 58/59. He cared little for statistics but only for devouring opposition bowling attacks and was probably one of the best equipped Australian batsman to deal with Shane Warne. According to Richie, Neil Harvey was the most difficult Australian batsman he’s played against. Harvey once said ‘’ The ball can’t spin if it doesn’t bounce’’.
Those of us lucky enough to have played cricket in the backyards with our fathers and grandfathers will never forget the stories told about the’ 48 Invincibles, the tied Test in Brisbane and the characters Miller, Benaud, Hassett and Harvey. In those days you spoke when you were spoken to, you respected your elders and stopped at pedestrian crossings.
When form deserted Harvey as a fresh faced nervous 19 year old touring England, he confided in close friend and fellow Victorian Sam Loxton to ask the Don where he might be going wrong. The Don replied ‘’ Tell him to keep the ball on the ground ‘’. Harvey heeded his advice and went onto greater things. At 19 he scored a Test Century at Leeds. Bradman said it was one of the greatest innings any batsman young or old has played. According to Richie, Harvey was brilliant against medium pace and fast bowling. His only detectable weakness to some was that he was too attacking.An Australian Hall of Fame Inductee, he was named in the Australian Team of the Century. Harvey came from a cricket family and was one of the greatest crowd entertainers the cricket world has known.
Neil Harvey played a great deal of cricket with Richie Benaud in the eleven years from 1952 and served as his Lieutenant from 58/59. He cared little for statistics but only for devouring opposition bowling attacks and was probably one of the best equipped Australian batsman to deal with Shane Warne. According to Richie, Neil Harvey was the most difficult Australian batsman he’s played against. Harvey once said ‘’ The ball can’t spin if it doesn’t bounce’’.
Those of us lucky enough to have played cricket in the backyards with our fathers and grandfathers will never forget the stories told about the’ 48 Invincibles, the tied Test in Brisbane and the characters Miller, Benaud, Hassett and Harvey. In those days you spoke when you were spoken to, you respected your elders and stopped at pedestrian crossings.
When form deserted Harvey as a fresh faced nervous 19 year old touring England, he confided in close friend and fellow Victorian Sam Loxton to ask the Don where he might be going wrong. The Don replied ‘’ Tell him to keep the ball on the ground ‘’. Harvey heeded his advice and went onto greater things. At 19 he scored a Test Century at Leeds. Bradman said it was one of the greatest innings any batsman young or old has played. According to Richie, Harvey was brilliant against medium pace and fast bowling. His only detectable weakness to some was that he was too attacking.An Australian Hall of Fame Inductee, he was named in the Australian Team of the Century. Harvey came from a cricket family and was one of the greatest crowd entertainers the cricket world has known.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete