John Harvey (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
John Frank Harvey was an English
cricket
er who played first-class cricket
for MCC
from 1961 to 1967 and for Derbyshire
from 1963 to 1972.
Harvey was born at Barnwell, Cambridgeshire
. He started his first-class career playing one game for Marylebone Cricket Club against Scotland in 1961. In 1962 he umpired two matches for MCC. He was picked up by Derbyshire in 1963 season
and, after three matches, made his debut in that year's County Championship against Somerset
. He scored a century against Kent in his second Championship match. Though his average fluctuated over following seasons, he continued to perform well throughout the mid-1960s. In the 1966 season
he was the only Derbyshire player to score a century in the Championship, and in the 1967 season he scored his best season average. One fine innings was at Chesterfield in the 1968 season
when he scored 92 as Derbyshire lost by only eight runs to the touring Australians
.
With one season out of the game during his eleven-year spell, Harvey saw the team through some tough times, heading the opening order on his peak form, but happy to perform in the middle order when his form was suffering. Harvey was released from Derbyshire in a shake-up in the 1972 season. He put in one-day appearanced for Minor Counties North and Cambridgeshire in 1975 and for Minor Counties East in 1976.
Harvey was a right-handed batsman and played 344 innings in 206 first class games with an average of 24.16 and a top score of 168. He also played 81 innings in 84 one-day matches. He was a right-arm offbreak bowler and took one first class wicket at the cost of 71 runs and one in one day cricket.
Harvey became coach and groundsman at Bradfield College
, and started playing for Berkshire
in 1978. He was captain of Berkshire in 1980 and represented them until the age of 46, in the Minor Counties Championship. Harvey's approach at Bradfield was appreciated by the boys over his 25 years there. Mark Nicholas
, who captained Bradfield in 1976 noted "He allowed young cricketers to have their say. There was nothing schoolmasterly about it."
Harvey died in Reading, Berks aged 63,after suffering from a brain tumour.
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
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
from 1961 to 1967 and 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 1963 to 1972.
Harvey was born at Barnwell, Cambridgeshire
Barnwell, Cambridgeshire
Barnwell is a suburb of Cambridge in England.It lies northeast of the city, with Cambridge Airport located immediately to the east. It forms part of the ecclesiastical parish of St Andrew the Less and was the site of Barnwell Priory....
. He started his first-class career playing one game for Marylebone Cricket Club against Scotland in 1961. In 1962 he umpired two matches for MCC. He was picked up by Derbyshire in 1963 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1963
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1963 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for ninety-two years. It was their fifty-ninth season in the County Championship and they won two championship matches and lost fourteen to finish seventeenth in the County...
and, after three matches, made his debut in that year's County Championship against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset 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 Somerset...
. He scored a century against Kent in his second Championship match. Though his average fluctuated over following seasons, he continued to perform well throughout the mid-1960s. In the 1966 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1966
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1966 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for ninety-five years. In the County Championship, they won eight matches to finish ninth in their sixty-second season in the Championship...
he was the only Derbyshire player to score a century in the Championship, and in the 1967 season he scored his best season average. One fine innings was at Chesterfield in the 1968 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1968
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1968 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for ninety-seven years. In the County Championship, they won six matches to finish eighth in their sixty-fourth season in the Championship...
when he scored 92 as Derbyshire lost by only eight runs to the touring Australians
Australian cricket team in England in 1968
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1968 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.Australia retained The Ashes after the series was drawn 1-1.-Test series summary:* at Old Trafford – Australia won by 159 runs...
.
With one season out of the game during his eleven-year spell, Harvey saw the team through some tough times, heading the opening order on his peak form, but happy to perform in the middle order when his form was suffering. Harvey was released from Derbyshire in a shake-up in the 1972 season. He put in one-day appearanced for Minor Counties North and Cambridgeshire in 1975 and for Minor Counties East in 1976.
Harvey was a right-handed batsman and played 344 innings in 206 first class games with an average of 24.16 and a top score of 168. He also played 81 innings in 84 one-day matches. He was a right-arm offbreak bowler and took one first class wicket at the cost of 71 runs and one in one day cricket.
Harvey became coach and groundsman at Bradfield College
Bradfield College
Bradfield College is a coeducational independent school located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire.The college was founded in 1850 by Thomas Stevens, Rector and Lord of the Manor of Bradfield...
, and started playing for Berkshire
Berkshire County Cricket Club
Berkshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Berkshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy....
in 1978. He was captain of Berkshire in 1980 and represented them until the age of 46, in the Minor Counties Championship. Harvey's approach at Bradfield was appreciated by the boys over his 25 years there. Mark Nicholas
Mark Nicholas
Mark Charles Jefford Nicholas is a cricket commentator and former player. He played for Hampshire from 1978 to 1995, captaining them from 1985 to his retirement....
, who captained Bradfield in 1976 noted "He allowed young cricketers to have their say. There was nothing schoolmasterly about it."
Harvey died in Reading, Berks aged 63,after suffering from a brain tumour.