Ashley Harvey-Walker
Encyclopedia
Ashley John Harvey-Walker (21 July 1944 – 28 April 1997) was an English
cricket
er who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire
from 1971 to 1978. He was shot dead in a Johannesburg bar.
, London
. He joined Warwickshire
and played for the second XI team. He moved to Derbyshire in 1967 where he also played in the second XI. In the 1971 season
he made his first team debut. He became the first Derbyshire cricketer to score a century on his debut scoring an unbeaten 110 against Oxford University
at Burton-on-Trent.
Not regarded as a regular bowler much beforehand, he was regularly employed when selected in the 1978 season
, taking 10-82, including 7-35 in the second innings against Surrey on the notoriously uncertain wicket at Ilkeston
. Despite playing in the Benson and Hedges Cup Final he was not re-engaged at the end of the season in a general clearout by the County.
Harvey-Walker was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break and medium-pace bowler. Early in his career he played purely as a top order batsman.
While he was attending a bar in Johannesburg
, a gunman walked in, called out Harvey-Walker's name, and shot him when he responded.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
from 1971 to 1978. He was shot dead in a Johannesburg bar.
Hundred on Debut
Harvey-Walker was born at East HamEast Ham
East Ham is a suburban district of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Newham. It is a built-up district located 8 miles east-northeast of Charing Cross...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He joined Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
and played for the second XI team. He moved to Derbyshire in 1967 where he also played in the second XI. In the 1971 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1971
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1971 was the centenary cricket season of the English club Derbyshire which had first played in 1871. In the County Championship, they won one match to finish seventeenth in their seventy-seventh season in the Championship. They won seven matches in the John...
he made his first team debut. He became the first Derbyshire cricketer to score a century on his debut scoring an unbeaten 110 against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
at Burton-on-Trent.
Later career
Harvey-Walker struggled to hold down a regular place in a weak batting side. His best season was 1974 when he scored 727 runs at 25.96, and also scored over 400 List 'A' runs. During the 1975 season a match at Buxton in June took place after a highly unseasonal snowstorm. Harvey-Walker came out to bat and surprised square leg umpire Dickie Bird by asking him to look after his false teeth, wrapped in a handkerchief, because he wouldn't be in for long.Not regarded as a regular bowler much beforehand, he was regularly employed when selected in the 1978 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1978
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1978 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for one hundred and seven years. They reached the final of the Benson & Hedges Cup. In the County Championship, they won three matches to finish fourteenth in their seventy fourth...
, taking 10-82, including 7-35 in the second innings against Surrey on the notoriously uncertain wicket at Ilkeston
Rutland Recreation Ground
The Rutland Recreation Ground is a cricket ground in Ilkeston, Derbyshire . The Derbyshire first XI played at the ground regularly between 1925 and 1994, with the ground hosting at least one County Championship match - and sometimes as much as three or four – each year until 1978...
. Despite playing in the Benson and Hedges Cup Final he was not re-engaged at the end of the season in a general clearout by the County.
Harvey-Walker was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break and medium-pace bowler. Early in his career he played purely as a top order batsman.
Murder
On 28 April 1997, at the age of 52, Harvey-Walker was murdered.While he was attending a bar in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, a gunman walked in, called out Harvey-Walker's name, and shot him when he responded.