Neil Harvey - a close second to Bradman
By A. C. de Silva
CRICKET: Just mention the name Neil Harvey and any ardent
lover of cricket of the past will come up with the answer that he was
one of the finest left-hand batsmen produced by Australia many years
ago. He has left enduring imprints and will be remembered for many
years.
Harvey played for the last time in a Test match when he was bowled by
Allen of England for 28 in Australia’s second innings against England in
the fifth and last Test at Sydney in the series of 1963. In the fourth
Test at Adelaide, he hit up a glorious 154, a typical Harvey-knock. He
could not have wished for a better end to his career which began in
1947, than the way it did.
Fate, it seemed had ordained that the mantle of Bradman, the batting
genius, should fall on the young but strong shoulders of Harvey, for as
Bradman’s sun was setting Harvey’s star appeared on the cricket horizon.
Harvey was ushered in by Bradman himself on the same Adelaide ground
many years ago, the occasion being the fourth Test match against India,
led by Amarnath. It was by no means a good start for the young batsman,
he was leg before wicket to Rangachari, the fast medium bowler from
Madras, with only 13 runs against his name.
To many the figure 13 has been a bugbear but to Harvey it turned out
to be his luckiest number, for from the next match in which he made 153
at Melbourne in the fifth Test, he has been Australia’s greatest
run-getter of, after Bradman.
He had scored 6,149 runs in 79 Test matches (137 innings, 10 times
not out) with an average of 48.41. He has played in all 21 three-figure
innings, in Test matches: six versus England, eight versus South Africa,
three versus West Indies, four versus India. His highest Test score was
205 versus South Africa at Melbourne in 1952-53.
There is no doubt that Harvey fully lived up to his reputation as one
of the great left-hand batsmen of his age as well as one of the best
fieldesmen at cover and in the slips, during his two visits to India,
first with the Australian team led by Ian Johnson in 1956, and the next
with Benaud’s team as its vice-captain, in 1959-60.
After the knock of 37 in the first Test at Madras, Harvey ran into
great form in the second Test at Bombay when he scored 140 runs and put
on 204 runs for the second wicket with Burke (161).
In the third Test he made 7 in the first innings but in a fishting
second innings knock scored 69 out of Australia’s total of 189 for nine
declared and helped his team win the match by 94 runs.
On the second tour, he began the series with a brilliant knock of 114
runs in the very first Test at New Delhi and followed up with scored of
51 and 25, 102, 11, 17 and 36.
Most outstanding
Of all his big knocks in India, his century in the second Test at
Bombay in 1956 was easily his most outstanding. For one thing, it was
played after he had a poor season in England in the summer months
earlier. Secondly the Indian bowling was in the hands of Phadkar,
Ramchand, Patel, Gupte and Mankad.
There was thus character and admirable skill in that knock, but what
was striking about it was the way he got the ascendancy over the bowling
of Mankad and Gupte principally.
At Madras Mankad has bowled him after he had teased him somewhat with
his artful flighting, Gupte too had confused him eith his leg-spin and
googly. So, it was hoped that Harvey would not after all be a thorn on
India’s side in the next two games.
After India made 251, Australia lost Rutherford at 57. Entered
Harvey, Burke awaited him even as Gupte who had dismissed Rutherford.
Unlike the Prince of Denmark, Harvey at once preferred to ‘take arms
against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them.’
He came down on dancing feet to the very first ball he received from
Gupte and smote it to the off. From that moment he continued to come
down the wicket and meet Gupte either full or take him at the pitch of
the ball.
Gupte, on the other hand, thought his best bet lay in drawing out
Harvey and so began varying the flight but unfortunately the Brabourne
wicket mocked at his spin. Harvey could confidently drive the all. The
battle of wits went on all day and the next Gupte was mastered. And so
was Mankad.
The driving of Harvey on either side of the wicket was maginificent.
It had timing; it had power and it had poise.
The innings was a masterpiece. It epitemized his gay approach. He was
at the wicket for 244 minutes and reached the boundary eighteen times in
his score of 140 before being caught by Nadkarni (the substitute) off
Patel. |