Harry Frei
Encyclopedia
Harald 'Harry' Frei is a former Australian first-class cricket
er who represented Queensland
.
Frei was originally an Australian rules footballer and appeared six times for Footscray
during the 1973 VFL season
. He later played with the North Launceston Football Club
.
It wasn't until the age of 31 that he made his first-class cricket debut, picked to play against a Bob Willis
led England XI. In a match that Queensland won, he dismissed Test player Graeme Fowler
for single figures in both innings and as well as David Gower
twice. Even though he was picked primarily as a fast-medium bowler, he managed to top score for Queensland with the bat in their first innings. His 57 runs, which came off just 36 deliveries and included five sixes, ended when he was bowled by Norman Cowans
.
As a result of his strong showing against England, Frei made his Sheffield Shield debut the following week and went on to take 20 wickets at 38.75 for the 1982/83 season. He performed better in Queensland's 1983/84 shield campaign with 23 wickets at 24.08, helping them to their inaugural Final which they lost to Western Australia. Frei took 30 wickets and played in another final in 1985/86 before his form began deteriorating. He managed just eight wickets at 67.37 the following season and never represented Queensland again.
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...
er who represented Queensland
Queensland Bulls
The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...
.
Frei was originally an Australian rules footballer and appeared six times for Footscray
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
during the 1973 VFL season
1973 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1973.-Premiership season:In 1973, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
. He later played with the North Launceston Football Club
North Launceston Football Club
The North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
.
It wasn't until the age of 31 that he made his first-class cricket debut, picked to play against a Bob Willis
Bob Willis
Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...
led England XI. In a match that Queensland won, he dismissed Test player Graeme Fowler
Graeme Fowler
Graeme "Foxy" Fowler is a former English professional cricketer, who played for Lancashire, England, and later for Durham...
for single figures in both innings and as well as David Gower
David Gower
David Ivon Gower OBE is a former English cricketer who became a commentator for Sky Sports. Although he eventually rose to the captaincy of the England cricket team during the 1980s, he is best known for being one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of the modern era. Gower played 117 Test...
twice. Even though he was picked primarily as a fast-medium bowler, he managed to top score for Queensland with the bat in their first innings. His 57 runs, which came off just 36 deliveries and included five sixes, ended when he was bowled by Norman Cowans
Norman Cowans
Norman Cowans is a former English cricketer who played in nineteen Tests and twenty three ODIs from 1982 to 1985. He also played first-class cricket for Middlesex and Hampshire....
.
As a result of his strong showing against England, Frei made his Sheffield Shield debut the following week and went on to take 20 wickets at 38.75 for the 1982/83 season. He performed better in Queensland's 1983/84 shield campaign with 23 wickets at 24.08, helping them to their inaugural Final which they lost to Western Australia. Frei took 30 wickets and played in another final in 1985/86 before his form began deteriorating. He managed just eight wickets at 67.37 the following season and never represented Queensland again.