Bats and batting advice for Harvey

[Tilly]

Thought someone might get a giggle out of this - times have changed !!!!

Niel Harvey first got selected to play for Australia in a test match against India at Adelaide 23-28 January 1948. He was just 18 and came from a large and not wealthy family. He'd never owned a cricket bat, so having successfully borrowed a bat from his club for all his previous first class games he borrowed a kit bat for his test debut . He failed, coming in at 4 for about 500 he only got 13.

Niel took the bat back to the club and said thanks expecting to probably never play again, he was however picked for the next test (the 5th and final of the series) at his home ground in Melbourne, so he borrowed a bat again. This time he got 153 and was selected to tour England.

He asked his club (Footscray from memory) if he could take a bat to England :h and they agreed.

Harvey's form early on tour in England 1948 was poor. So poor that he was no chance of test selection and indeed he was so worried he asked his mate Sam Loxton if he would see his mate "George" (Bradman) and ask what he was doing wrong. The message went back "tell your little mate that if he hits the ball along the ground he can't get out caught". This was famously the ONLY batting advice Bradman EVER offered Harvey - quite unusual given that he usually did have some advice.

Tour payments were made and that rather paltry sum was the most money Niel had ever seen so he splashed out and bought 2 Gunn and Moore "the autograph" bats. He prepared them both and put aside his favorite to be his "Test" bat if he ever got selected. The other bat he used in his next county game and broke the handle when he was on 14 - he still has it.

Still he did not use the other saving it for an unlikely test call up. Back to the club bat his performances were improving.

As luck would have it in a game just prior to the 4th test on that tour, Barnes was struck severely while fielding and Harvey was brought into the side for the 4th test at Headingly.

He did quite well, coming in at 3/68 and leaving with 112 at 5/294. IN the second innings he famously got 4 not out hitting the winning runs. If Bradman, his partner had scored that 4, he would of course have averaged a career 100.

Sitting in the stands at Leeds was Stuart Surridge who offered Harvey an equipment contract. So the Gunn and Moore once out for 116 was retired.

Today the bat has a note written on the back. "This bat represents a brilliant inning from a young man, in what was Australia's greatest ever Test triumph" signed DG Bradman.

The borrowed bat is framed at the club .


Years and years later (must have been in the 70's when they were both selectors) Harvs mentioned to his old mate Sam Loxton that "George never once gave me any batting advice directly and only that one time second hand through you"

Sam confronted his mate "George" and said "my little mate claims you never gave him any batting advice" apparently this got Braddles attention so he looked closely at Sam and said "so could you have given him any advice?" Sam said "well no".
The Don said " well I could have. I could have told him that he'd be better served to steer those short straght ones past gully for one or two than smashing them behind point for 4, but think of the tens of thousands of people I'd have dissapointed"

[JB1]

Good yarn mate keep 'em coming

[JB1]

If Bradman had not tied up the #3 then Harvey would have.Definitely better than Ponting in style and attitude and capable of playing all the shots to all parts of the ground, whereas Bradman "made" as much as he could balls on the off were sent to the leg side fence .Funny you should mention Bobby Simpson as he and I share same birthday which was last week. Simpson was a strong contender for the best opener of all time.But IMPO he did not mature until too late which was proven when he "came back" during WSC and led that young ,by the standards then, australian side

[mikhaelofkhanberra]

Originally Posted by Tilly

Interestingly Harvs (like Bradman) usually gave LOTS of advice, although he apparently never gave either Norm O'Niell or Peter Burge any.

Thats true. Trouble is no one asks for it. :h

Reading your post and JB's follow up where he talked abt Bradman I remember Bill Bowes was once asked his opinion of Bradman which came with the authourity of having played against him in 6 tests and dismissing him 5 times.

Bradman he reflected, he hit all your bad 'uns for 4. Then after a pause on his pipe continued; and most your good 'uns too!

Bowes was a funny man for a Yorkshireman. Perhaps bowling at Bradman gave you that perspective.

[robsam]

Great story about a great player. I think bradman is the best player in the cricket history. He can not be listed wit anyone. He was having his own style and quality while playing. Mr. Bradman is a champ.