166-526: Robert Neil Harvey (born 8 October 1928) is an Australian former cricketer who was a member of the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement. An attacking left-handed batsman , sharp fielder and occasional off-spin bowler, Harvey was the senior batsman in the Australian team for much of the 1950s and
332-456: A public school education who had then gone to one of Cambridge or Oxford University . Society insisted that such people were "officers and gentlemen" whose destiny was to provide leadership. In a purely financial sense, the cricketing amateur would theoretically claim expenses for playing while his professional counterpart played under contract and was paid a wage or match fee; in practice, many amateurs claimed more than actual expenditure, and
498-414: A sticky wicket hostile to batting. Harvey made only seven in his only innings. He played in all of Victoria's matches for the season, despite a form slump—he scored only 206 runs at 18.72. He was then overlooked for state selection until 1958–59, when he regained his position late in the season and made 97 and 86 in consecutive innings. However, the following season, he made only sporadic appearances despite
664-411: A tennis ball , homemade cricket bat and a kerosene tin for a wicket. They were usually joined by other local children, two of whom became elite sportsmen: Allan Ruthven (an Australian rules footballer ) and Harold Shillinglaw (both an Australian rules footballer and first-class cricketer )—the group also played Australian rules football, kicking around rolled up cardboard and newspaper. Much of
830-582: A 117-run first innings lead against South Australia. He made only 10 in the second innings but his state completed a 290-run win nonetheless. Harvey was then rewarded with selection in a testimonial match for retiring Australian captain Lindsay Hassett . Typically, such matches involved the best players in Australia divided into two teams, and Harvey played for Arthur Morris 's XI against Hassett's outfit. Harvey scored 69 and 17 as his team completed
996-596: A 121-run win. He also bowled three overs in total, but was unsuccessful, conceding 27 runs as the opposition batsmen attacked him. Harvey then made 50 and 19 in a drawn match again Queensland. Harvey played a key part in Victoria's win over New South Wales away at the SCG. Having taken two catches as the hosts batted first, he made 61 as the visitors made 234 to take a 52-run first innings lead. After taking another catch in
1162-469: A 240-run first innings lead. He then made 18 as his team collapsed for 101 to lose by an innings. Harvey was then dropped for the next three matches, as the Test players, including his younger brother Neil, returned. With a Test match in progress at the same time, he was recalled for the home match against Queensland but made only 35 and 14 as Victoria collapsed in the second innings to be 9/147, holding on for
1328-506: A 31-run lead and Harvey was out for only one in the second innings as the hosts won the Ashes 1–0 after 19 years in Australian hands. Harvey scored 346 runs at 34.60 for the series; in a low-scoring series, this placed him second behind captain Lindsay Hassett (365 runs at 36.50). Harvey failed to pass 41 in the four first-class matches remaining after the Tests. With the retirement of Hassett at
1494-477: A 42-run first innings lead, but was out for a duck in the second innings. Australia collapsed to 8/35 and were saved from defeat by the rain, which meant that less than 14 hours of play was possible. Harvey then returned to Headingley, the venue of his famous innings five years earlier. In a low-scoring match, he top-scored for the entire match with 71 in the first innings as Australia took a 99-run lead. The tourists looked set for victory and retention of The Ashes at
1660-406: A Second XI fixture against New South Wales, he made 61 before being bowled by Alan Davidson . In the first innings he delivered one over and was attacked heavily, conceding 23 runs. In the second innings, he bowled 13 overs and took 1/49 as New South Wales ended 24 runs short of making Victoria bat again with three wickets in hand when the match ended in a draw. In 1951–52, Harvey was in and out of
1826-497: A Test century, a record that still stands. Harvey was the youngest member of the 1948 Invincibles of Don Bradman to tour England, regarded as one of the finest teams in history. After initially struggling in English conditions, he made a century on his Ashes debut. Harvey started his career strongly, with six centuries in his first thirteen Test innings at an average over 100, including four in 1949–50 against South Africa, including
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#17327937429711992-409: A club record of 817 First XI runs in a season. In 1942–43, Neil was promoted to Fitzroy's First XI, joining Merv, Mick and Ray. During that season, the family held down the first four batting positions for Fitzroy; Merv and Mick opened the batting and Ray and Neil came in after them. Ray continued to play for Fitzroy over the next two decades when he was not required by Victoria. Outside cricket, Harvey
2158-514: A collared shirt with short or long sleeves; long trousers; woolen pullover (if needed); cricket cap (for fielding) or a safety helmet; and spiked shoes or boots to increase traction. The kit is traditionally all white, and this remains the case in Test and first-class cricket, but in limited overs cricket, team colours are now worn instead. i) A used white ball. White balls are mainly used in limited overs cricket , especially in matches played at night, under floodlights (left). The essence of
2324-422: A counterattack, with Miller taking the lead and shielding Harvey from Jim Laker , as the young batsman was struggling against the off breaks that were turning away from him. Miller then hit a series of boundaries against Laker. This allowed Australia to seize the initiative, with Harvey joining the counterattack during the next over , hitting consecutive boundaries against Laker, the second of which almost cleared
2490-400: A draw with one wicket in hand. Harvey bowled seven overs in the match and conceded 0/51. He was immediately dropped again when the Test players returned, before being recalled for the away match against Queensland when the national representatives were again unavailable. Harvey then made 31 and 1 in a narrow 18-run loss. Having made only 21 of Victoria's 647 in the next match against Tasmania, he
2656-421: A drawn match. The brotherly trio was broken up for the match against Queensland , as Neil was selected for the Australian team. In his only innings, Ray scored 48 and appeared set for his maiden first-class half-century before being run out in a drawn match. He bowled eight overs for the season, conceding 32 runs without taking a wicket. Merv dropped after this match, and Ray made 9 and 15 alongside Neil in
2822-454: A fence, part of the stands, a rope, a painted line, or a combination of these; the boundary must if possible be marked along its entire length. In the approximate centre of the field is a rectangular pitch (see image, below) on which a wooden target called a wicket is sited at each end; the wickets are placed 22 yards (20 m) apart. The pitch is a flat surface 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, with very short grass that tends to be worn away as
2988-621: A highly popular format, putting the longer formats at risk. The new shorter format also introduced franchise cricket, with new tournaments like the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash League . The ICC has selected the T20 format as cricket's growth format, and has introduced a T20 World Cup which is played every two years; T20 cricket has also been increasingly accepted into major events such as
3154-601: A large proportion of time on the field due to an injury to pace spearhead Ray Lindwall . During the first two Tests, Brown struggled in his unfamiliar role, and he was dropped for the third. During the Third Test, opener Sid Barnes was injured, opening a vacancy for the Fourth Test at Headingley . Harvey forced his way into the team with a scoring sequence of 49, 56, 43, 73* and 95. After Harvey hit 49 and 56 against Yorkshire, Fingleton opined that he "probably gained
3320-703: A love of the game in his six sons, all of whom played for Fitzroy in Victorian Premier Cricket . Harvey made his first class debut in the middle of the 1947–48 season, and played his first two matches for Victoria alongside his more decorated brothers Merv and Neil. However, he performed poorly and did not play a match in the following summer and for the two subsequent seasons, he played in only three games but contributed little to his team's cause. In 1951–52 he made five appearances, gaining selection only when Victoria's Test players were busy representing Australia. The following season, he gained selection for
3486-568: A marble instead of a ball that sharpened their reflexes, and a miniature bat. All were right-handed batsmen with the exception of Neil. All of the children attended the nearby George Street State School and one by one the brothers joined the Fitzroy Cricket Club as they reached their early teens. The club had a program whereby they gave a medal for every local school to award to the best cricketer in their ranks in that year. The successful student would then be given access to all of
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#17327937429713652-590: A match-winning 151 not out on a sticky wicket . As Bradman's team broke up in the 1950s due to retirements, Harvey became Australia's senior batsman, and was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1954, in recognition of his feat in scoring more than 2,000 runs during the 1953 tour of England. In 1957, Harvey was passed over for the captaincy and was named as the deputy of Ian Craig , who had played just six matches, as Australia sought to rebuild
3818-448: A record that way" and managed only 13. In 1953 he became only the third Australian in a quarter of a century to score 2,000 runs on an Ashes tour. Bradman (three times) and Stan McCabe were the others. He made 2,040 at 65.80 and his ten centuries were twice that of the next best in the side. Harvey started the first-class campaign with an unbeaten 202 against Leicestershire , setting up an innings victory. After reaching 25 in each of
3984-571: A result of his performances in this season, he was hailed as the best batsman outside the Australian Test team. Harvey's performances were rewarded with selection for an Australian XI in a tour match against the England cricket team at the start of the 1954–55 season. However, the match was curtailed by rain and Harvey was not able to exhibit his talents on a sticky wicket highly difficult for batting. Listed at No. 4, Harvey came in after
4150-460: A solitary run when he hit a ball to Len Hutton at short leg , who dived forwards and grabbed it with both hands before dropping it. Harvey then swept the next ball for a boundary. Colin McCool was out at 6/31 before Harvey and wicket-keeper Don Tallon steadied Australia. Harvey was reprieved on 12; he charged the bowling but the wicketkeeper fumbled the stumping opportunity. Harvey then hit
4316-538: A tennis ball on cobblestones or a marble rebounding from the backyard pavement. The boys went to George Street State School and Falconer Street Central School. Cricket and cricket talk was an integral part of the daily family life. Horace held the family batting record with 198 for Broken Hill, and continued to play in Melbourne club cricket. Harvey's eldest brother Merv went on to play one Test for Australia, while Mick and Ray both played for Victoria. All six brothers,
4482-459: A wet wicket in the first innings, Australia had slumped to 3/59 in pursuit of a victory target of 336. On a crumbling, sticky pitch, the Australians were having extreme difficulty with the spin of Hugh Tayfield and faced their first Test defeat against South Africa for 39 years. Despite a few square cuts, Harvey adapted his game to play a patient innings, prompting heckling from spectators for
4648-625: A win over South Australia and then added 146 in the second innings of a match against New South Wales to stave off defeat. He ended the season with 1099 runs at 45.79. The 1951–52 season was less productive, with the West Indies touring Australia . Playing in all five Tests, Harvey scored 261 runs at 26.10 with one half century as Australia won 4–1. Harvey had difficulties in dealing with the dual spin bowling combination of Alf Valentine and Sonny Ramadhin , who bowled left arm orthodox and leg spin respectively and accounted for him six times in
4814-416: A winner or tie.) The wicket-keeper (a specialised fielder behind the batter) and the batters wear protective gear because of the hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) and presents a major health and safety concern. Protective clothing includes pads (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves or wicket-keeper's gloves for
4980-403: Is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field , at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre; 66-foot) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails (small sticks) balanced on three stumps . Two players from the batting team, the striker and nonstriker, stand in front of either wicket holding bats , while one player from the fielding team,
5146-539: Is aimed at a mark (the wicket) and driven away from it". It is generally believed that cricket originated as a children's game in the south-eastern counties of England, sometime during the medieval period . Although there are claims for prior dates, the earliest definite reference to cricket being played comes from evidence given at a court case in Guildford in January 1597 ( Old Style , equating to January 1598 in
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5312-453: Is certain that cricket was being played c. 1550 by boys in Surrey . The view that it was originally a children's game is reinforced by Randle Cotgrave 's 1611 English- French dictionary in which he defined the noun " crosse " as "the crooked staff wherewith boys play at cricket", and the verb form " crosser " as "to play at cricket". One possible source for the sport's name
5478-423: Is drawn four feet in front of the bowling crease and parallel to it; although it is drawn as a 12 ft (3.7 m) line (six feet on either side of the wicket), it is, in fact, unlimited in length. The return creases are drawn at right angles to the popping crease so that they intersect the ends of the bowling crease; each return crease is drawn as an 8 ft (2.4 m) line, so that it extends four feet behind
5644-656: Is known, through numerous references found in the records of ecclesiastical court cases, to have been proscribed at times by the Puritans before and during the Commonwealth . The problem was nearly always the issue of Sunday play, as the Puritans considered cricket to be "profane" if played on the Sabbath , especially if large crowds or gambling were involved. According to the social historian Derek Birley , there
5810-570: Is the Old English word " cryce " (or " cricc " ) meaning a crutch or staff. In Samuel Johnson 's Dictionary , he derived cricket from " cryce , Saxon, a stick". In Old French , the word " criquet " seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy ,
5976-464: Is the earliest mention of adult participation in cricket and it was around the same time that the earliest known organised inter-parish or village match was played, at Chevening, Kent . In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall died after he was accidentally struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex. Cricket remained a low-key local pursuit for much of the 17th century. It
6142-402: Is thought, a " wicket gate " through which sheep were herded), that the batter must defend. The cricket historian Harry Altham identified three "groups" of "club ball" games: the "hockey group", in which the ball is driven to and from between two targets (the goals); the "golf group", in which the ball is driven towards an undefended target (the hole); and the "cricket group", in which "the ball
6308-579: The Asian Games . The resultant growth has seen cricket's fanbase cross one billion people, with 90% of them in South Asia. T20's success has also spawned even shorter formats , such as 10-over cricket (T10) and 100-ball cricket , though not without controversy. Outside factors have also taken their toll on cricket. For example, the 2008 Mumbai attacks led India and Pakistan to suspend their bilateral series indefinitely. The 2009 attack on
6474-702: The British Empire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas, and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well established in Australia , the Caribbean , British India (which includes present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh ), New Zealand , North America and South Africa . In 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. The first Australian team to travel overseas consisted of Aboriginal stockmen who toured England in 1868 . In 1876–77, an England team took part in what
6640-465: The Dukes of Richmond , exerted their honour code of noblesse oblige to claim rights of leadership in any sporting contests they took part in, especially as it was necessary for them to play alongside their "social inferiors" if they were to win their bets. In time, a perception took hold that the typical amateur who played in first-class cricket, until 1962 when amateurism was abolished, was someone with
6806-643: The Victorian Football League . In 1948, Harvey was selected at short stop in the 1948 All-Australian baseball team. Saturday night entertainment for the family typically consisted of dinner after the day's cricket matches for Fitzroy and Plant, Liddicut and other club personnel were often invited. Under the influence of cricketing mentors Plant and Liddicut, the boys were taught to adopt an aggressive approach, using fast feet movement to attack spin bowling in particular. Harvey made his First XI debut for Fitzroy in 1941–42. In 1943–44, he scored
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6972-413: The West Indies . Women's cricket , which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. The most successful side playing international cricket is Australia , which has won eight One Day International trophies, including six World Cups , more than any other country, and has been the top-rated Test side more than any other country. Cricket is one of many games in
7138-401: The "club ball" sphere that involve hitting a ball with a hand-held implement. Others include baseball (which shares many similarities with cricket, both belonging in the more specific bat-and-ball games category ), golf , hockey , tennis , squash , badminton and table tennis . In cricket's case, a key difference is the existence of a solid target structure, the wicket (originally, it
7304-412: The 1953–54 season, which was purely domestic. He scored 639 runs at 42.60, including a century against New South Wales and four fifties. He had a few near-misses during the season; he scored 97 against Queensland in two matches and made 88 against South Australia. The 1954–55 season saw England tour Australia , and Harvey scored 98 in three innings in warm-up matches against the visitors. He struck 162 in
7470-708: The 19th century. The game's governing body is the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has over 100 members, twelve of which are full members who play Test matches. The game's rules, the Laws of Cricket , are maintained by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . The sport is followed primarily in South Asia , Australia , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Southern Africa , and
7636-541: The Christmas holiday period. Harvey was one of the few batsmen to make an impact in the second innings, as the New South Wales bowlers, including the likes of Keith Miller , Ray Lindwall , Richie Benaud and Davidson, all members of Australia's Test bowling attack, dismissed Victoria for only 222 to set up a nine-wicket win. A week later, he started the new year by scoring 110 as Victoria batted first and took
7802-520: The First Test at Johannesburg , Harvey amassed 178 in the first innings of the Second Test at Cape Town , which set up a first innings lead of 248 runs. He then scored 23 not out to guide Australia to an eight-wicket victory in the second innings. This was followed by an unbeaten 151 in five and a half hours at Durban , regarded as one of his finest Test innings. Having been dismissed for 75 on
7968-576: The First Test in Brisbane after Australia were sent in, helping to compile 8/601 to set up an innings victory. Between Tests, he scored 59 and 34 not out for Victoria against the Englishmen. This was followed by a low scoring Second Test in Sydney when Australia were 4/77 needing 223 to win on a poor wicket against the lethal pace of Frank Tyson and Brian Statham . The express Tyson was bowling with
8134-537: The Harvey brothers, it was their mother who was vocal and extroverted, in contrast to their reserved father. The boys who failed to score runs were given kitchen duty and according to them, their parents never showed favouritism. During the winter, they played baseball for the Fitzroy Baseball Club , often competing in matches played as curtain raisers to the elite Australian rules football competition,
8300-584: The Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, " met de (krik ket)sen " ("with the stick chase"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin. Although the main object of the game has always been to score the most runs , the early form of cricket differed from the modern game in certain key technical aspects; the North American variant of cricket known as wicket retained many of these aspects. The ball
8466-689: The Second Test at Lord's in 1961, when Benaud was injured, Harvey led the team in the "Battle of the Ridge" on an erratic surface, grinding out a hard-fought victory. Only Bradman had scored more runs and centuries for Australia at the time of Harvey's retirement. Harvey was best known for his extravagant footwork and flamboyant stroke play, as well as his fielding. Harvey was particularly known for his innings in conditions unfavourable to batting, performing when his colleagues struggled, such as his 151 not out in Durban, his 92 not out in Sydney in 1954–55, and his 96 on
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#17327937429718632-575: The Sri Lankan team during their tour of Pakistan led to Pakistan being unable to host matches until 2019. In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland became the 11th and 12th Test nations. In cricket, the rules of the game are codified in The Laws of Cricket (hereinafter called "the Laws"), which has a global remit. There are 42 Laws (always written with a capital "L"). The earliest known version of
8798-617: The Tests. He reached 35 in each of his next five innings for Victoria, including two fifties. Three months after his 19th birthday, Harvey made his entry into international cricket, in the last two Tests against India. He batted at No. 6 and made 13 in his only innings on debut in the Fourth Test at the Adelaide Oval as Australia swept to an innings victory. The selectors retained him for the Fifth Test on his home ground at Melbourne. After reaching stumps on 78, he reached his century
8964-425: The Tests. He scored 100 and 145 not out against North Eastern Transvaal and Orange Free State . There were two matches against a South African XI that were effectively dress rehearsals for the Tests. In the first, Harvey made 34 in an innings victory. He then made an even 100 in the second match, a week before the First Test. He had scored 480 runs at 60.00 in the matches leading up to the Tests. After scoring 34 in
9130-417: The Tests. His only fifty was an 83 in the first innings of the Fourth Test in Melbourne. Australia went on to complete a dramatic one-wicket victory. Harvey had a poor season overall, scoring only 551 first-class runs at 32.41 without managing a single century. Harvey started the 1952–53 season without a first-class century in more than 18 months and in three matches ahead of the Tests, suffered two defeats and
9296-559: The absence of the Test players overseas and aggregated only 133 runs at 16.62 in four matches and he was never selected for Victoria again. He shone mainly for Fitzroy in Victorian Premier Cricket , scoring 19 centuries and 9,146 runs in first-grade competition, both of which are still club records. Ray Harvey's father, Horace "Horry" Harvey moved to Broken Hill , New South Wales where he worked for BHP driving horse-drawn trailers. In 1914, he married Elsie May Bitmead and their first two children, daughter Rita and son Mervyn , were born in
9462-454: The ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side either catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it hits the ground, or hitting a wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings (playing phase) ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from traditional Test matches played over five days to
9628-474: The ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with a slightly raised sewn seam enclosing a cork core layered with tightly wound string. The earliest known definite reference to cricket is to it being played in South East England in the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire , with the first international matches in the second half of
9794-520: The batting skill displayed by the Harvey brothers has been attributed to these games played on the unpredictable bounce of the bumpy laneway. The surface also had a V-shaped slope inwards towards the centre of the lane, causing balls to deviate sideways after bouncing. As the laneway meant that the playing area was long and narrow, the young boys also had to learn to play the ball straight in accordance with orthodox cricket technique. The Harveys played another form of cricket in their concreted backyard using
9960-449: The batting team are on the field at any given time. The order of batters is usually announced just before the match, but it can be varied. The main objective of each team is to score more runs than their opponents, but in some forms of cricket, it is also necessary to dismiss all but one of the opposition batters (making their team 'all out') in their final innings in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn (not ending with
10126-529: The bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of the pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball with the bat and then switch places with the nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each of these exchanges. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally . The fielding team tries to prevent runs from being scored by dismissing batters (so they are "out"). Means of dismissal include being bowled , when
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#173279374297110292-421: The bowling crease, but is also, in fact, unlimited in length. Before a match begins, the team captains (who are also players) toss a coin to decide which team will bat first and so take the first innings . "Innings" is the term used for each phase of play in the match. In each innings, one team bats, attempting to score runs , while the other team bowls and fields the ball , attempting to restrict
10458-404: The bowling, and he hooked Tyson over fine leg's head for four. Together, Harvey and Johnston they had added 39 for the last wicket and halved the runs required. At this point, the Australian pair were confident. Harvey and Johnston felt that Tyson was about to run out of energy, and that their prospects would improve when Hutton would have been forced to change bowlers in the near future. However, it
10624-436: The brothers again did not form any partnerships as they were always out before the next sibling came in to bat. Ray came in at 5/208 to make 43. Victoria ended with 331 and the Harvey brothers had scored almost half the runs. New South Wales were forced to follow on and Victoria were set 51 for victory. After the fall of Fred Freer at 1/24, captain Lindsay Hassett elevated Ray to No. 3, allowing two Harveys to bat together for
10790-409: The catch of the season—or, indeed, would have been had Harvey not turned on several magnificent aerial performances down at The Oval [against Surrey]". On the final afternoon, Harvey was at the crease and got off the mark by hitting the winning boundary in the second innings as Australia successfully completed a Test world record run chase of 3/404 in less than one day. He had only one more innings in
10956-567: The club's facilities. All of the Harvey brothers were recipients were of this medal. At Fitzroy, they came under the influence of former Victorian all-rounder Arthur Liddicut and the club's veteran captain Joe Plant. The Harveys had no formal coaching, and their father, although a regular presence at the club, chose to stay in the background as their respective careers developed. Horace did not advise his sons on how to bat, allowing them to formulate their own style and technique. According to
11122-489: The code was drafted in 1744, and since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played on a cricket field (see image of cricket pitch and creases) between two teams of eleven players each. The field is usually circular or oval in shape, and the edge of the playing area is marked by a boundary , which may be
11288-561: The derisive term "shamateur" was coined to describe the practice. The game underwent major development in the 18th century to become England's national sport . Its success was underwritten by the twin necessities of patronage and betting. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and, in the middle years of the century, large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury . The single wicket form of
11454-475: The dismissal of his brother and made seven in his only innings. As a result, Ray was not chosen for the Test team alongside his brother during the season. This was the start of a poor season for Harvey as he managed a top-score of only 44 in 11 innings for the summer, passing 20 on only four occasions and ending with 206 runs at 18.72. Despite this, the Victorian selectors persisted with him for every match of
11620-405: The earliest known contest that is generally considered a First Class match. The patrons and other players from the gentry began to classify themselves as " amateurs " to establish a clear distinction from the professionals, who were invariably members of the working class , even to the point of having separate changing and dining facilities. The gentry, including such high-ranking nobles as
11786-537: The early stages of the campaign was against Yorkshire in Bradford , on a damp pitch that suited slower bowling. The match saw 324 runs fall for 36 wickets. No sooner had Harvey walked out to bat, stand-in captain Lindsay Hassett was caught to leave Australia at 5/20 in pursuit of 60. To make matters worse, Sam Loxton was injured and could not bat, so Australia were effectively six wickets down and faced its first loss to an English county since 1912. Harvey had scored
11952-431: The end of the season, Harvey was to bear more responsibility in the batting line-up. In recognition of his performances during the summer, during which he scored 2040 runs at 65.40, he was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year . The next highest Australian aggregate and average was 1433 at 51.17 by Miller, and the second most prolific centurymaker was Hassett with five. Harvey returned to Australia and played in
12118-463: The existence of players like him who were nominally amateur but, in terms of their financial gain, de facto professional. Grace himself was said to have been paid more money for playing cricket than any professional. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the " Golden Age of cricket ". It is a nostalgic name prompted by the collective sense of loss resulting from
12284-418: The extra vacancies, Ray was only selected for one match, against Tasmania, making 9 and 45 in a four-wicket win. This was effectively a second-choice Victorian team as the leading players were involved in a Shield match against New South Wales at the same time. Harvey's 1950–51 season was similarly unproductive, with the Test players back in Australia for a home series against England. He was only selected for
12450-403: The fact that there were no Tests scheduled for the Australian season, meaning that the international representatives would be available for all of Victoria's matches. Ray and Neil played together in every match of the summer. In the opening match of the season against Queensland, Ray Harvey made 82 and 8 in a 254-run win. He followed this with 2 and 91 in the next match against New South Wales over
12616-444: The first Australian left-hander to score a century on his Ashes debut, in an innings noted for powerful driving on both sides of the wicket. The innings and the high rate of scoring helped to swing the match into a balanced position when Australia were finally dismissed for 458. In the second innings, Harvey took two noted catches, including one where he bent over to catch the ball at ankle height while running. Fingleton said that it "was
12782-615: The first innings and the innings saw him complete 1000 Test runs against the South Africans in only eight Tests. Harvey made it consecutive centuries in as many matches, with 84 and 116 in Adelaide. Starting with an on-driven boundary off the first ball of the last day's play, Harvey's century took 106 minutes and was the fastest record in the Australia since World War II and the sixth fastest of all time in Australia. With leading pacemen Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller breaking down in
12948-454: The first innings and was the second top-score ( run out ) in the second. Such was his performance in the series that his scores of 11 and 60 in the Second Test, top-scoring in the second innings, were his worst, as Australia lost their first Test to South Africa for 42 years. Harvey then top-scored with 190 in the Third Test in Sydney to set up a large first innings lead of 270 and an innings victory. Harvey alone made more than his opponents in
13114-432: The first innings. This put Australia in control of the Test, despite South Africa successfully chasing an unlikely target of 295. Harvey accumulated 834 Test runs at 92.66 in the series. This surpassed Bradman's aggregate of 806 runs in 1931–32 as a series record against South Africa. In ten Tests against South Africa, he had eight centuries, totalling 1494 runs at an average of 106.71. Harvey totalled 1,659 runs at 63.81 for
13280-646: The first limited overs Cricket World Cup in 1975 . Sri Lanka joined the ranks in 1982. Meanwhile, South Africa was banned by the ICC due to apartheid from 1970 until 1992. 1992 also brought about the introduction of the Zimbabwe team . The 21st century brought with it the Bangladesh Team , who made their Test debut in 2000. The game itself also grew, with a new format made up of 20-over innings being created. This format, called T20 cricket , quickly became
13446-430: The first time at first-class level. Ray and Merv put on an unbeaten partnership of 27 to take Victoria to a nine-wicket win. Merv and Ray ended unbeaten on 12 and 22 respectively. The three brothers played together in the next match against Western Australia . Merv captained the team as Hassett was away on Test duty. Victoria batted first and Ray made only 1. In the second innings, Ray 15, not batting with his brothers in
13612-438: The first time in his career. On 40, a ball from Tufty Mann broke through his defence and Harvey thought himself bowled, only to see that the ball had goven for byes. However, Mann and Tayfield began to tire in the heat and Harvey began to score more quickly, reaching 50 in 137 minutes by the lunch break. He registered his slowest ever century on his way to guiding his team to an improbable victory by five wickets. Harvey brought up
13778-461: The following day, 7 February 1948. His score of 153 after being promoted to No. 5 made him the youngest Australian Test centurion, surpassing Archie Jackson 's previous record. He brought up the mark with an all run five, having turned a short ball from Lala Amarnath towards the square leg boundary. The innings in replacing Bradman was taken to be symbolism of the fact that Harvey had been tipped to become Australia's leading batsman. His innings laid
13944-544: The following match against New South Wales. He made 1 and 9, and conceded 26 runs from three wicketless overs, and was dropped, having made only 133 runs at 16.62 for the season. In 1960–61, Harvey played a final First XI season for Fitzroy. His Fitzroy first-grade records for the most career runs and centuries, and the most runs in a season, still stand, and he managed a double-century for the club against University. He ended his first-grade career with 19 centuries and 9,146 runs at an average of 36.15 from 247 matches. Harvey
14110-501: The foundations that secured Australia another innings victory and a 4–0 series triumph. It was only his 13th match at first-class level. The innings ensured him a place on the 1948 tour of England. Speaking about Harvey's selection, Bradman opined "He has the brilliance and daring of youth, and the likelihood of rapid improvement." In the warm-up matches before the team headed to England, Harvey struck 104 against Tasmania and 79 against Western Australia . He had scored 733 runs at 52.36 for
14276-450: The game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs , starting with Sussex in 1839. In December 1889, the eight leading county clubs formed the official County Championship , which began in 1890. The most famous player of the 19th century was W. G. Grace , who started his long and influential career in 1865. It was especially during the career of Grace that the distinction between amateurs and professionals became blurred by
14442-424: The game progresses (cricket can also be played on artificial surfaces, notably matting). Each wicket is made of three wooden stumps topped by two bails . As illustrated, the pitch is marked at each end with four white painted lines: a bowling crease , a popping crease and two return creases . The three stumps are aligned centrally on the bowling crease, which is eight feet eight inches long. The popping crease
14608-432: The game quickly grew from 500 tests in 84 years to 1000 within the next 23. Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the limited overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative, and the number of matches increased. The first Limited Overs International was played in 1971, and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC), seeing its potential, staged
14774-575: The game, and his willingness to listen to the old hands." Briefly playing for Fitzroy Football Club , Harvey gave up the sport and played baseball during winter. After leaving school, Harvey worked as an apprentice fitter and turner for the Melbourne City Council. The apprenticeship was supposed to take three years, but it eventually took six years because Harvey's cricket career caused frequent absences. First-class cricket had been cancelled during World War II and resumed in 1945–46. At
14940-421: The greatest Test batter of all time. To curb his dominance, England employed bodyline tactics during the 1932–33 Ashes series . These involved bowling at the body of the batter and setting a field, resulting in batters having to choose between being hit or risk getting out. This series moved cricket from a game to a matter of national importance , with diplomatic cables being passed between the two countries over
15106-529: The hands, a safety helmet for the head, and a box for male players inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area). Some batters wear additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads. The only fielders allowed to wear protective gear are those in positions very close to the batter (i.e., if they are alongside or in front of him), but they cannot wear gloves or external leg guards. Subject to certain variations, on-field clothing generally includes
15272-703: The help of tailwind and the slips cordon were over 50 m behind the bat. Harvey stood firm while Tyson scattered the stumps of his partners, and he farmed the strike ruthlessly, protecting the tailenders and counter-attacking the England fast bowlers, relying on the cut shot and clipping anything on his pads through the leg side. Schoolboys watching the game leaned over the fence to beckon the boundaries towards them. Last man Bill Johnston came in at 9/145 with 78 runs still required, but protected by Harvey he only had to face 16 balls in 40 minutes and they almost produced an unlikely Australian victory. Harvey continued to attack
15438-528: The incident. During this time, the number of Test nations continued to grow, with the West Indies , New Zealand and India being admitted as full Test members within a four-year period from 1928 to 1932. An enforced break during the Second World War stopped Test Cricket for a time, although the Partition of India caused Pakistan to gain Test status in 1952. As teams began to travel more,
15604-470: The last match before the First Test. Former Australian Test batsman Jack Fingleton described Harvey's innings as "a superb century, rich in youthful daring and stroke production". However, this was not enough for selection and reserve opener Bill Brown batted out of position in the middle-order, as he had done against Worcestershire and the MCC. Harvey was the 12th man because of his fielding abilities, and spent
15770-597: The last match of the season against Queensland. He ended the season with 233 runs at 46.60. In 1959–60, the Test team toured the Indian subcontinent during the Australian summer, opening up more vacancies in the Sheffield Shield. Harvey was given a recall in December 1959. However, he was not successful and failed to convert his starts into substantial scores, making 8, 36, 12, 25, 22 and 20 in three matches. In
15936-467: The last of these matches, he took his career-best bowling figures of 3/26, in the first innings against South Australia. He dismissed the top-scorer John Lill for 176 and his other victims were Michael Clingly and Peter Trethewey . This allowed Victoria to take first innings points and eventually complete a six-wicket win. This meant that all of Harvey's five wickets as first-class level came against South Australia. Harvey's first-class career ended with
16102-401: The last three matches and broke through for his maiden first-class century , having never previously passed 50. Having broken through at the end of the preceding summer, Harvey played his first full season for Victoria in 1953–54, despite the availability of the Test players for the whole campaign. He scored two centuries and five half centuries against full strength teams from other states and
16268-450: The match, Harvey bowled for only the third time in his Test career. He took his first of three wickets at Test level, that of Russell Endean as a depleted Australian attack could not defeat the visitors who finished seven wickets down. As the series 2–1 in Australia's favour and not yet won, the Fifth Test in Melbourne was a timeless Test. Harvey compiled his third consecutive century and highest Test score of 205 as Australia amassed 520 in
16434-731: The matting in Dhaka . In retirement, he became a national selector for twelve years but in recent times is best known for his strident criticism of modern cricket. In 2000, he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in and selected in the Australian Cricket Board 's Team of the Century . In 2009, Harvey was one of the 55 inaugural inductees into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame . Harvey
16600-664: The mining town. The family relocated to Newcastle , a mining town and harbour in New South Wales and had two more sons, Mick and Harold there. In 1926, the Harveys shifted to the inner- Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy , a staunchly working-class , industrial area. During their relocation, Ray was born in Sydney . Horace secured a job at the confectionery company Life Savers (Australasia) Ltd. located next door to their house at 198 Argyle Street. The 19th century two-storey house
16766-413: The modern calendar). The case concerned ownership of a certain plot of land, and the court heard the testimony of a 59-year-old coroner , John Derrick , who gave witness that: Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies. Given Derrick's age, it was about half a century earlier when he was at school, and so it
16932-552: The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch (in use in Flanders at the time) " krick " ( -e ), meaning a stick (crook). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word " krickstoel " , meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church that resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University , "cricket" derives from
17098-448: The newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20 ), in which each team bats for a single innings of 20 overs (each "over" being a set of 6 fair opportunities for the batting team to score) and the game generally lasts three to four hours. Traditionally, cricketers play in all-white kit , but in limited overs cricket , they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by
17264-416: The next fixture against New South Wales, a six-wicket win. Ray played in the next match against Tasmania with none of his brothers alongside him, as Neil was again busy with the national team. Ray made two in his only innings in a ten-wicket win. Despite his run of low scores, he was retained as Neil and the other Test players returned; he made 25 and 10 as Victoria lost by four wickets in their final match of
17430-515: The next four innings without converting any starts into a score beyond 66, Harvey rectified this in the two weeks before the Tests started. He struck 109 against the Minor Counties , 103 against Lancashire , 82 and 137 not out against Sussex and 109 against Hampshire . His 109 against Minor Counties was only nine less than the entire opposition managed in two innings, and he had scored 540 runs in four completed innings in 14 days. Harvey
17596-481: The next match against Tasmania, Harvey made his maiden first-class century, scoring 154. He said that his effort was inspired by elder brother Merv, who gained Test selection in the same year. At the time, Tasmania was not part of Sheffield Shield , and Harvey made his Shield debut against New South Wales . He was dismissed without scoring in the first innings before making 49 in the second innings in an emphatic 298-run win over their arch-rivals. Victoria went on to win
17762-433: The other end quick enough. I watched him play a few overs and I thought, "This is good", and then they brought Laker on to bowl. The third and the fifth balls of Laker's over disappeared over my head, on the way up, and they both finished in the crowd for six. . . . I can honestly thank Keith Miller for the confidence he gave me during our partnership . . . and it did so much for my future cricket career." The pair launched
17928-506: The other two being Brian and Harold, also played for Fitzroy in district cricket. Except for Harold, all five represented Victoria in baseball. Harvey played his first game aged nine as a wicket-keeper in the North Fitzroy Central School team, the average age of which was 14. In a school final, he once made 112 of the total of 140. Aged twelve, he joined the local Fitzroy club and rose to the first-grade team when he
18094-461: The playing area. By the time Miller was out for 58, the partnership had yielded 121 runs in 90 minutes, and was likened by Wisden to a "hurricane". Fingleton said that he had never "known a more enjoyable hour" of "delectable cricket". Loxton came in at 4/189 to join Harvey, who continued to attack the bowling, unperturbed by Miller's demise. Australia went to lunch on the third day at 4/204, with Harvey on 70. After lunch, Harvey accelerated after
18260-554: The respect of this most discerning crowd more quickly than any other cricketer in recent years". Harvey then scored 43 and 73 against Surrey and had taken a catch amongst a flock of pigeons. Australia wanted to finish the run-chase quickly so they could watch the Australian John Bromwich play in the Wimbledon tennis final. Harvey volunteered to play as a makeshift opener and promised Bradman that he would reach
18426-412: The scoring and dismiss the batters. When the first innings ends, the teams change roles; there can be two to four innings depending upon the type of match. A match with four scheduled innings is played over three to five days; a match with two scheduled innings is usually completed in a single day. During an innings, all eleven members of the fielding team take the field, but usually only two members of
18592-410: The season against South Australia. Ray ended his debut first-class season with 190 runs at a batting average of 21.11 with a best score of 48. After a poor debut season for Victoria, Harvey did not gain first-class selection in 1948–49 and vacancies were hard to come by as the season was purely domestic with no touring Test team, so all of Australia's international representatives were available for
18758-507: The season, the second highest tally for a season in Australian history, just 31 runs behind Bradman's record. In the last four matches of the season, he scored 95, 148, 49, 81 and 48 to come within striking distance. In the last match of the season, Western Australian captain Wally Langdon declared early on the last afternoon to allow Harvey another innings so he could break the record. However, Harvey muttered "I wouldn't want to break
18924-438: The season. Harvey was overlooked for selection for entirety of the 1955–56 season. After four years out of first-class cricket, Harvey earned a recall in the latter half of the 1958–59 season for a match against Queensland. He made only 21 in the first innings and was unbeaten on 17 when time ran out in the second innings. He was retained for the match against South Australia the following week and scored 97 in an innings win. In
19090-477: The season. Australia traditionally fielded its first-choice team in the tour opener, which was customarily against Worcestershire . Despite scoring a century in Australia's most recent Test, Harvey was made 12th man and it appeared that he was not initially in Bradman's Test plans. At first, Harvey struggled in the English conditions, failing to pass 25 in his first six innings. His most notable contribution in
19256-446: The second innings saw the hosts save the match with three wickets in hand. Harvey returned to form by striking 141 against Gloucestershire before taking 3/9, his first three-wicket haul at first-class level, to help Australia take a nine-wicket win. He added a second century in as many innings with 118 in an innings win over Northamptonshire . Harvey then struck 122 in the rain affected Third Test at Manchester; he helped Australia take
19422-465: The second innings, he then made an unbeaten 106 to guide the Victorians to their target of 268 with five wickets in hand. Harvey's run-scoring tapered away in the last two matches of the season; he made 74 runs in three innings in the match. Nevertheless, he ended the season with 699 runs at 49.92; he had made the same number of runs in his first six first-class seasons since his debut in 1947–48. As
19588-439: The second new ball was taken, and 80 minutes into the middle session, reached his century to a loud reception as Australia passed 250. Harvey's knock had taken 177 minutes and included 14 fours. The partnership yielded 105 in only 95 minutes. Harvey was eventually out for 112 from 183 balls, bowled by Laker while playing a cross-batted sweep. His shot selection prompted Bradman to throw his head back in disappointment. Harvey ended as
19754-560: The series 4–0. He had amassed four centuries in consecutive Tests in the series and had scored six in his first nine Tests, totally 959 runs at 106.55. Harvey's fast scoring made him a crowd favourite and marketing drawcard in South Africa. When Harvey was rested for a tour match in East London , media complaints prompted Australian selectors to reverse their decision. He finished the season with 55 in an Australian total of 55 before
19920-442: The series 4–1. Harvey had trouble with Alec Bedser 's in-swingers in the early part of the series and Bedser was the only Englishman to dismiss Harvey in the first three Tests. On the first day of the series, Harvey top-scored with 74 out of Australia's 228. It turned out to be crucial as rain created a sticky wicket ; England made 7/68 and Australia 7/32, both declared. Australia went on to win by 70 runs. The Second Test in Melbourne
20086-506: The series, scoring 17 in the Fifth and final Test at The Oval where Australia won by an innings. Harvey added centuries in consecutive matches after the Tests against Somerset and the South of England . In the entire first-class tour, he scored four centuries to aggregate 1129 runs at 53.76. Harvey was an acrobatic fielder, regarded as the best in the Australian team. Fingleton said that Harvey
20252-443: The sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match, its popularity peaking in the 1748 season . Bowling underwent an evolution around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch (bounce) the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batter. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old "hockey stick" shape. The Hambledon Club
20418-413: The sport is that a bowler delivers (i.e., bowls) the ball from their end of the pitch towards the batter who, armed with a bat , is "on strike" at the other end (see next sub-section: Basic gameplay ). The bat is made of wood, usually Salix alba (white willow), and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide and
20584-485: The squad, joined cavalier all-rounder Keith Miller . Australia were more than 400 behind and if England were to remove the pair, they would expose Australia's lower order and give themselves an opportunity to take a large first innings lead. Upon arriving in the middle, Miller greeted him cheerfully and said to Harvey, "OK, mate, get up the other end. I'll take the bowling for a while until you get yourself organised." Harvey said, "Mate, that will do me." I couldn't get up
20750-425: The start of the final day, but time-wasting and defiant defence from the English batsmen left Australia a target of 177 in the last two hours. This would have required a scoring rate much higher than in the first four days of the match. Harvey quickly scored 34 at a run a minute, and Australia had made 111 in 75 minutes and were on schedule for a win. At that point, English medium-pacer Trevor Bailey began bowling with
20916-545: The start of the season, Harvey was selected for a trial match. The Victorian state team played against the Rest of Victoria, and Harvey represented the latter. However, he made a duck in his only innings and was not selected for the senior state side during the season. An aggressive 113 for Fitzroy against Melbourne Cricket Club in 1946–47 saw Harvey selected for the Victorian team at the age of 18. He made 18 in his only innings during his first-class debut against Tasmania . In
21082-448: The subsequent fixture against New South Wales, who were in the process of completing a sixth consecutive Shield title, Harvey faced a full-strength team with Australia's two leading Test bowlers Benaud and Davidson. He made 86 in the first innings but managed only 6 in the second before being removed by Benaud, as the Victorians ended 37 runs short of victory with five wickets in hand when time ran out. Harvey made six in his only innings in
21248-417: The target quickly. Australia chased down the target of 122 in just 58 minutes and 20.1 overs. Harvey ended unbeaten on 73 and the Australians arrived at Wimbledon on time. He then added 95 against Gloucestershire , attacking the off spin of Tom Goddard . After England had amassed 496 in the first innings, Australia had slumped to 3/68 with Bradman one of the dismissed batsmen. Harvey, the youngest member of
21414-589: The team on a regular basis as the Test players were periodically available for Victorian duty between the international matches. With the Test players away for the first two Sheffield Shield matches, Harvey played in both fixtures. He made only 28 in the first match, an innings win over Western Australia. He also took two catches. In the next match against South Australia, he made 47 out of Victoria's 281 and took his first wickets at first-class level, dismissing century-maker Ernest England and tail-ender Geff Noblet and ending with 2/29 and two catches as Victoria conceded
21580-417: The team with a youth policy following a decline in the team. Craig later offered to demote himself due to poor form, but Harvey prevented him from doing so. At any rate, Craig fell ill the following season, but Harvey had moved interstate, so Richie Benaud was promoted to the captaincy ahead of him. Harvey continued in the deputy's role until the end of his career, but he was captain for only one Test match. In
21746-716: The title convincingly. His next match for Victoria was against Wally Hammond 's English tourists. After the fall of three early wickets, Harvey joined captain Lindsay Hassett . He dominated a partnership of 120, making 69 in his second match against the guileful leg spin of Doug Wright . His opponents had no doubt that he would become a Test player. English wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans congratulated him by proclaiming "We'll be seeing you in England next year [for Australia's 1948 tour of that country]". He ended his debut first-class season with 304 runs at 50.66. In 1947–48, Harvey played in two Shield matches with his brothers Merv and Ray. Merv had already gained Test selection, but soon Neil
21912-487: The total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (97 cm). There is no standard for the weight, which is usually between 2 lb 7 oz and 3 lb (1.1 and 1.4 kg). Ray Harvey Raymond Harvey (3 January 1926 – 6 January 2011) was an Australian former first-class cricketer who played for Victoria in the 1940s and 1950s. He was the brother of Australian Test batsmen Merv and Neil and first-class cricketer and umpire Mick Harvey . Ray Harvey
22078-464: The tourists dismissed a South African XI for 49 and 90 to complete an innings victory. Harvey's triple figure average from his first two Test seasons could not be maintained when Australia hosted the 1950–51 Ashes series . Following his success in South Africa, Harvey played regularly at either the No. 3 or No. 4 from that point onwards. He managed 362 runs at 40.22 with three half centuries as Australia took
22244-443: The two first class matches against Tasmania, was even less successful. In the first match, he made a duck in the first innings, before coming to the crease at the end of the run-chase and being yet to score as a nine wicket win was completed. In the next match he made 0 and 9, as Victoria scraped home for a nine run win, despite Harvey conceding 20 runs from four wicketless overs. He ended the first class season with 9 runs at 3.00. In
22410-535: The war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed. In 1844, the first-ever international match took place between what were essentially club teams, from the United States and Canada , in Toronto ; Canada won. In 1859, a team of English players went to North America on the first overseas tour . Meanwhile,
22576-493: The whole season. Harvey was selected for a Second XI match against New South Wales but failed to make an impact, scoring two runs in each innings as the Victorians completed a 195-run win. Harvey took the wicket of H Hinman in the first innings, ending with 1/24 from four overs. The following season, 1949–50, with the Australian Test team in South Africa for the whole of the southern hemisphere summer, Victoria lost batsmen Lindsay Hassett , Sam Loxton and Neil Harvey. Despite
22742-432: The wicket-keeper more than two metres down the leg side to deny the Australians an opportunity to hit the ball, but the umpires did not penalise them as wides. The match ended in a draw, and Harvey described Bailey's tactics as "absolutely disgusting". English wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans said that the tourists "were absolutely livid" and he sympathised with them, saying that "they were right" in claiming that Bailey's bowling
22908-507: The winning runs by clipping a ball from Mann to the midwicket boundary. Harvey continued his productive sequence in the Fourth Test in Johannesburg , scoring an unbeaten 56 and 100 in a drawn match. It was the first Test in which Harvey had played that Australia did not win. After scoring 100 not out against Griqualand West , Harvey finished the series with 116 in the Fifth Test at Port Elizabeth , as Australia won by an innings and took
23074-526: The winning runs with a six over the sightscreen, ending unbeaten on 18 not out . It was the closest Australia had come to defeat for the whole tour. Due to his weak performances in the opening matches, Harvey was omitted for the match against the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord's . The MCC fielded seven players who would represent England in the Tests, and were basically a full strength Test team, while Australia fielded their first-choice team and went on to win by an innings. The omission signified that Harvey
23240-655: Was bowled underarm by the bowler and along the ground towards a batter armed with a bat that in shape resembled a hockey stick ; the batter defended a low, two-stump wicket ; and runs were called notches because the scorers recorded them by notching tally sticks. In 1611, the year Cotgrave 's dictionary was published, ecclesiastical court records at Sidlesham in Sussex state that two parishioners, Bartholomew Wyatt and Richard Latter, failed to attend church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined 12 d each and ordered to do penance . This
23406-524: Was "by far the most brilliant fieldsman of both sides, who was to save many runs in the field". He was twelfth man in the early Tests because of his fielding and he took several acclaimed catches throughout the tour. No international matches were scheduled for the 1948–49 Australian season, and Harvey had a disappointing first-class season, scoring only 539 runs at 33.68. He scored 72 and 75 in Victoria's totals of 165 and 197 as they lost to arch-rivals New South Wales by 88 runs, but his only other score beyond 50
23572-465: Was "the worst kind of negative cricket" and that he had "cheated [them] of victory". With the series locked at 0–0, the fate of The Ashes would be determined in the Fifth and final Test at The Oval . In the lead-up, Harvey scored 113 and 180 in consecutive innings against Surrey and Glamorgan , before failing to pass single figures in his next three innings before the deciding match. Harvey made 36 as Australia made 275 batting first. England then took
23738-544: Was a "great upsurge of sport after the Restoration " in 1660. Several members of the court of King Charles II took a strong interest in cricket during that era. Gambling on sport became a problem significant enough for Parliament to pass the 1664 Gambling Act, limiting stakes to £ 100, which was, in any case, a colossal sum exceeding the annual income of 99% of the population. Along with horse racing , as well as prizefighting and other types of blood sport , cricket
23904-413: Was also his first score of 50 or more at first-class level. He took seven catches in his three matches and ended the season with 251 runs at 62.75, and took a total of 0/43 from 15 overs. Having broken through for his first century at the end of the previous season, Harvey played consistently in 1953–54, and was selected for each of Victoria's matches for the season for the first time. He did so despite
24070-402: Was also low scoring; Harvey made 42 and 31 as Australia won after neither team passed 200. He performed steadily through the series, with 39, 43 and 68 in the next two Tests, which were both won. He then made one and 52 in the Fifth Test defeat; it was the first in his 14 Tests and Australia's first since World War II and came on his home ground in Melbourne. Outside the Tests, Harvey scored 141 in
24236-448: Was an 87 for Lindsay Hassett 's XI in a Test trial at the end of the season. Nevertheless, the selectors persisted with him for the 1949–50 tour of South Africa . Harvey was forced to shoulder more responsibility in the batting order now that Bradman had retired and Sid Barnes took an extended break. The youngest player in the team, Harvey rose to the challenge by establishing several Australian records. His Test figures of 660 at 132.00
24402-523: Was an attacking and free-flowing batsman but he was not a prolific scorer, which was attributed by observers to a lack of single-mindedness required to succeed at the top level. Neil said that Ray's footwork was suspect and that the stronger bowlers in domestic cricket were able to exploit this. Neil said that if Ray had been able to rectify his weakness, then he could have become a Test player for Australia. Australian captain Bill Lawry said that Harvey
24568-439: Was an attacking and talented batsman but failed to reach international standards and only managed to hold down a regular position in the Victorian team in two seasons in the 1950s. This failure to match the standards set by his Test-capped brothers was often attributed to a lack of single-mindedness and hunger. Harvey was born into a working-class, devoutly Methodist family. His father was a keen amateur cricketer and an instilled
24734-614: Was an electrical fitter and he worked for the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board . He and his wife Lorna and settled in the inner-northern suburb of Reservoir . Midway through the 1947–48 season, Harvey was called into the Victorian team for the Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales and made his debut alongside Merv and Neil, who were already established players. Merv opened, while Neil and Ray batted at Nos. 4 and 7 respectively. Victoria batted first and
24900-478: Was attracting more attention. In the opening match of the season, Harvey struck 87 against the touring Indian cricket team . He was selected for an Australian XI, which played the Indians before the Tests in what was effectively a dress rehearsal. He made 32 in the first innings and was unbeaten on 56 in the second as the hosts succumbed for 203 and suffered a 47-run loss. Despite this, he was initially overlooked for
25066-450: Was dropped for the final Shield match when the Test players returned. Harvey ended the season with 195 runs at 24.37; he reached 14 in all but one of his eight innings but was unable to convert his starts into large scores, with a highest innings of 47. Harvey was unable to gain selection during the 1952–53 season until late in the season, at the end of January. In his first match of the summer against New South Wales, he made 42 and 36, but
25232-592: Was founded in the 1760s and, for the next twenty years until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket . New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century include the three-stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw). The 19th century saw underarm bowling superseded by first roundarm and then overarm bowling . Both developments were controversial. Organisation of
25398-467: Was fourteen. By this stage, he had transferred to Collingwood Technical School. On the advice of the Victorian coach, Arthur Liddicut, Harvey stopped wicket-keeping to focus on his batting. Joe Plant , another Fitzroy veteran, also gave advice on batting. Both Liddicut and Plant identified Harvey's potential as a batsman. "What they liked about him was his modesty, his eagerness to pick up every point in
25564-538: Was good enough to hit 196 runs during a match in Newcastle, and he encouraged his children to play sport. He himself played for the Rita Social Club after moving to Fitzroy, while his wife kept score. As recreational facilities and grass ovals were sparse in densely populated Fitzroy, the boys took to playing cricket in a cobblestone laneway between their terraced house . Here they played cricket with
25730-469: Was not at his best in the five Tests. In the 11 innings leading up to the Tests, Harvey's lowest score was 14, and he had only failed to pass 30 twice. However, in the First Test at Trent Bridge , Harvey had a duck and two and falling twice to Bedser as Australia hung on for a draw in a rain-affected contest. After scoring 69 against Yorkshire , Harvey made 59 and 21 in the Second Test at Lord's, again falling to Bedser in both innings. Some tenacious batting in
25896-486: Was not enough and England won by 38 runs when Johnston gloved a Tyson delivery down the leg side to the wicket-keeper. Harvey had played what many observers thought was the greatest innings of his life, a defiant, unbeaten 92, exactly half of the Australian innings of 184 in which no other batsmen reached 15. Cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Cricket
26062-513: Was on the outer with regards to Test selection. After asking Bradman about his difficulties, Harvey was told that these were caused by rash shot selection and a tendency to hit the ball in the air. Bradman said "He was technically perfect in his shot production. He was batting well enough and simply getting out early." Harvey adapted his style and improved his performance. He scored 36 and 76 not out against Lancashire at Manchester and an unbeaten 100 at Hove against Sussex in only 115 minutes in
26228-480: Was owned by the firm and was used as lodgings for the workers' families. It no longer exists, having been demolished to make way for a textile factory. The two youngest sons Neil and Brian were born in Fitzroy. The Cornish -descended Horry raised his family as strict Methodists , disallowing gambling, alcohol, tobacco and profanity in his household. An ardent cricketer during his years in New South Wales , he
26394-490: Was perceived to be a gambling sport. Rich patrons made matches for high stakes, forming teams in which they engaged the first professional players. By the end of the century, cricket had developed into a major sport that was spreading throughout England and was already being taken abroad by English mariners and colonisers—the earliest reference to cricket overseas is dated 1676. A 1697 newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" played in Sussex "for fifty guineas apiece",
26560-420: Was regarded by Wisden as the finest fielder of his era. Upon his retirement, Harvey was the second-most prolific Test run-scorer and century-maker for Australia. One of six cricketing brothers, four of whom represented Victoria , Harvey followed his elder brother Merv into Test cricket and made his debut in January 1948, aged 19 and three months. In his second match, he became the youngest Australian to score
26726-481: Was retrospectively recognised as the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia . The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882, which remains Test cricket's most famous contest. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89 when South Africa played England. The inter-war years were dominated by Australia 's Don Bradman , statistically
26892-409: Was rewarded with selection in Lindsay Hassett 's testimonial match, which was effectively a Test trial match. Harvey ended the season with 699 runs at a batting average of 49.92. At the start of the following season, Harvey was included in an Australian XI for a match against the touring England cricket team for a Test trial match. However, rain curtailed the match and turned the playing surface into
27058-560: Was the fifth of six boys born to Horace Harvey. Despite his small build, Harvey was born large, weighing in at 4.5 kilograms (10 lb). The family lived in Broken Hill , where Horace was a miner, before moving to Sydney, and finally to Melbourne in 1926, where they settled in the inner northern industrial suburb of Fitzroy . There the six boys were taught cricket under the guidance of their father. In conditions conducive to producing batsmen rather than bowlers, they played cricket using
27224-428: Was the most runs on a Test tour of South Africa by a visiting batsman, surpassing Len Hutton 's previous mark by 83 runs, as were his 1,526 first-class runs at 76.30 and eight centuries on tour. His eight first-class centuries on one South African tour equalled the efforts of Denis Compton , Len Hutton and Arthur Morris . Harvey started the tour well and was highly productive in seven first-class matches leading into
27390-436: Was unable to convert his starts into large scores in a drawn match. The next match against the touring South Africans proceeded similarly. In a drawn encounter, Harvey made 47 in the first innings and was unbeaten on 5 in the run-chase when time ran out. In the final match of the season, against Western Australia, Harvey broke through for his maiden first-class century, scoring 121 in an innings victory over Western Australia. It
27556-401: Was yet to break his drought. Having failed to score a century in ten Tests and almost three years, the season saw Harvey at his productive best as South Africa, whom he had scored four centuries against three years earlier, toured Australia . On a slow pitch difficult for stroke play, Harvey scored 109 and 52 in Brisbane where Australia grounded out a victory in the First Test. He top-scored in
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