Merv Harvey
Encyclopedia
Mervyn Roye Harvey was a cricket
er who played in one Test match
for Australia in 1947. His younger brother, Neil
, was one of Australia's finest batsmen since the Second World War, and the pair played together for Victoria during the latter part of Merv’s career.
Merv Harvey broke into the Victorian state team
during the 1940–41 season and played in three first-class
matches. The highlight of the first phase of his career for Victoria was a rapid 70 in one hour against a New South Wales
attack containing Bill O'Reilly
, regarded as the best bowler in the world at the time. However, the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific caused the suspension of top-level cricket and halted Harvey’s progress. Harvey then served in the Royal Australian Air Force
as an airframe fitter, losing his best cricketing years to the war.
An opening batsman, Harvey was described by Neil as "the greatest cricketer of us all" and known for his attacking style and penchant for hooking fast bowlers. He was initially overlooked for Victorian selection after cricket resumed in 1945–46, before being recalled for the final match of the season, and he responded by scoring a career-best 163. He was a regular member of the Victorian team during the 1946–47 season, and although he faced much competition for national selection as Australia had an abundance of quality openers at the time, he was selected for his only Test during the Fourth Test of the season against England at the Adelaide Oval
when both Bill Brown
and Sid Barnes
were injured. Harvey made 12 and 31 before being dropped immediately due to Barnes’ recovery.
In 1947–48, Harvey played with younger brothers Neil and Ray
in two matches for Victoria, captaining the team in the second of these fixtures. However, his own form began to wane and he was dropped from the team mid-way through the season. In 1948–49, Harvey remained outside the first-choice team, and played in only two first-class matches against Tasmania when Victoria fielded a second-string team. He retired at the end of the season, having played only 22 first-class matches in an interrupted career. Harvey captained his state five times during the post-war phase of his career, standing in when regular captain Lindsay Hassett
was away on national duty.
to Horace "Horrie" and Elsie Harvey. Horace worked for BHP
driving horse-drawn trailers. Merv was the second child in the family and the oldest son. Five younger brothers were to follow, in chronological order Mick
, Harold, Ray
, Neil
and Brian. The family relocated to Newcastle
, a mining town and harbour in New South Wales
, before shifting to the inner-Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy
, a staunchly working-class
, industrial area. 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 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 Cornish
-descended Horace 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 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.
As recreational facilities and grass ovals were sparse in densely populated Fitzroy, Merv and his younger brothers played cricket in a cobblestone
laneway between their terraced house
. Here they played cricket with a tennis ball
, home made 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
and Harold Shillinglaw
. The group also played Australian rules football, kicking around rolled up cardboard and newspaper. Much of 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 a marble instead of a ball, and a miniature bat. This sharpened their reflexes.
Merv was the first of the brothers to attend the nearby George Street State School and join 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 the club's facilities.Harvey, pp. 26–27. 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. Merv and his younger siblings had no formal coaching, and their father, 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 the 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 Fitzroy, often competing in matches played as curtain raiser
s to the elite Australian rules football competition, the Victorian Football League
. Saturday night entertainment for the family typically consisted of dinner after the day’s cricket matches for Fitzroy, and Plant, Liddicut and other cricket club personnel were often invited. Under the influence of Plant and Liddicut, the boys were taught to adopt an aggressive approach, using fast feet movement to attack spin bowling
in particular. In 1932, Harvey captained the Victorian Under-15 schoolboys team on a tour of Queensland
and one of his players was future Victorian and Australian teammate Keith Miller
.Coleman, pp. 473–478. Harvey graduated to Fitzroy's first XI in 1933–34.
Second XI to play in a match against their counterparts from New South Wales
. Harvey was run out
for four in the first innings and then made eight as his team succumbed to a 227-run defeat. As a result, he was not called up into the First XI for the next two years.
Harvey made his first-class
debut for Victoria against Queensland at the Gabba in 1940–41. In the first innings, he made 25 before being caught by wicket-keeper
Don Tallon
from the bowling of Jack Ellis as the visitors took first innings points in a drawn match. In the next match, he made an impression. After making 35 in the first innings, he scored 70 in an hour's batting in the second innings at the SCG against New South Wales
. In both innings, he was dismissed by leg spin
ner Bill O'Reilly
, the leading bowler in the world, but Victoria managed to prevail by 24 runs. The teams met again three weeks later, and this time, New South Wales turned the table, winning by 235 runs. Harvey made 14 in the first innings, bowled by O'Reilly for the second innings in a row. In the second innings he made 38 before being removed by another leg spinner, Cec Pepper
. Harvey ended the season with 182 runs at 36.40.
Harvey enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) at Fitzroy on 12 May 1942 and was a member of the 30 Squadron
. He served as an airframe fitter during World War II
, which severely interrupted his sporting career, and first-class cricket was cancelled after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor prompted the outbreak of hostilities in the Pacific. He was discharged on 25 January 1946 with the rank of aircraftman. According to cricket administrator Bill Jacobs, the war cost Harvey his prime cricketing years. Jacobs believed that Harvey would have been selected for Australia in the period otherwise interrupted by war.
. He responded by striking a career-best 163 to help his team to an innings win.
Immediately after the war, Harvey faced a lot of competition for a place as an opening batsman in the Australian team, but a vacancy arose in 1946–47, when Bill Brown
, who had captained Australia the previous season and opened for the country in Tests in the 1930s, was sidelined with injury for the whole summer.
In the first match of the season, Harvey’s Victorians faced the touring England cricket team led by Wally Hammond
.Coleman, p. 560. In the first innings, Harvey made 21 of the team’s 189 before being caught and bowled by leg spinner Doug Wright
. He then made 57 before being dismissed by Alec Bedser
as the hosts fell for only 204 in pursuit of 449 for victory, losing by 244 runs.
This was enough for him to be selected in the Australian XI for a match against the Englishmen, in what was effectively a Test dress rehearsal. Rain curtailed the match, and the game did not reach the second innings; Harvey made 22 in his only opportunity.
There was another match for Victoria against South Australia before the Tests, allowing him another chance to push his claim for national selection. It was also his first Sheffield Shield match; his previous appearances for Victoria in interstate games were in seasons where the competition was called off due to war and replaced by one-off matches. Harvey could manage only 9 as Victoria amassed 548 in their first innings. They needed 79 runs for victory in 35 minutes on the last afternoon, and with quick scoring required, the more aggressive Keith Miller
opened in place of Harvey. When the first wicket fell with the target almost completed, Harvey came in and made three not out by the time the match was over.Whitington, p. 109. These performances were not enough for the Australian selectors and Harvey was overlooked for the team for the first two Tests.
After this, Harvey had two opportunities to press for selection for the next Test. He made 13 in an innings victory over Queensland and continued to be overlooked. The second match was the Shield clash with arch-rivals New South Wales, which started on Boxing Day
at the MCG. After the visitors had made 205, Harvey opened with Ken Meuleman
, who was out at 1/31, bringing Miller to the crease. Miller hammered the bowling and Victoria were 1/154 at the end of the day. The next day, the 271-run partnership ended after just over three hours when Miller fell at 2/302. Harvey went on to make 136 in what was generally regarded as his best innings.Coleman, pp. 559–561. He famously hooked
leading Australian paceman
Ray Lindwall
, the fastest in the world at the time, over the fence into the public bar for six. It was one of the few occasions that Lindwall was hit for six in his long career. Victoria declared at 8/560, Test bowlers Lindwall and Ernie Toshack
taking the most punishment with figures of 1/100 and 0/133 from 18 and 21 overs respectively, as Victoria went on to win by an innings and 114 runs.
In the return match against Queensland, Harvey made 17 as Victoria took a convincing innings win. In the next match against New South Wales, Harvey played with Neil for the first time at first-class level, and pair played together for their state’s two remaining matches of the season, although they never batted together as Merv was always out before Neil came in, usually at No. 6. Merv made 30 and 44, failing to capitalise on his starts to make a big score with a Test vacancy beckoning; incumbent opener Sid Barnes
was injured and unavailable for the Fourth Test.
Nevertheless Harvey was selected to play his only Test, the Fourth Test at Adelaide, filling in for the injured Barnes. England batted first and made 460 before being dismissed late on the second day. Harvey opened with Arthur Morris
, and made 12 in the first innings before being bowled by Bedser while playing an aggressive shot. With only a few minutes of play left, the Australian captain Don Bradman came in and he too was bowled by Bedser, without scoring a run. Harvey later privately said the Bradman had told him to play cautiously and survive until the end of the day, rather than attack, and that the captain was angry with the resulting two wickets. According to Harvey, Bradman told him that he would never be selected for Australia again. The tourists then declared during the last afternoon and left Australia a target of 314. The target was not a realistic offer and Morris and Harvey put on an opening stand of 116 before the latter was bowled for 31 by the medium pace of occasional bowler Norman Yardley
. The match ended in a draw with Australia on 1/215.
Barnes recovered and resumed his position for the Fifth Test. Harvey ended his season by scoring 10 in his only innings of Victoria’s second tour match against England, which was drawn, and was 3 not out in the first innings of the Shield match against South Australia when it was washed out. Harvey made his captaincy debut in the latter match as Lindsay Hassett
was representing Australia in the Fifth Test, and his bowlers dismissed South Australia for 222 in Victoria’s only innings in the field. This washed-out drawn match was the only time in six Shield matches during the season that Victoria did not emerge victorious, and they won the competition. Harvey ended the season with 405 runs at 33.75.
Neil returned to the Victorian team for the match against New South Wales at the SCG the following week, and Ray was selected to make his first-class debut, so three Harveys were in the state team for the first time. Merv opened, while Neil and Ray batted at Nos. 4 and 7 respectively. Victoria batted first and the brothers again did not form any partnerships. Merv opened and made 45 as Victoria ended with 331; 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 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 trio then proceeded to play together in the next match against Western Australia two weeks later and Merv captained the team as Hassett was away on Test duty. Victoria batted first and Neil came in to join Merv with the score at 2/102, and the pair added 173 together before the younger brother fell for 94. One run later, Merv was out for 141 in what turned out to be his final first-class century; later, Ray made only 1. Victoria ended on 370 and Western Australia took a 59-run lead. In the second innings, Merv made 6 and did not bat with his brothers. He declared the innings at 9/304, setting Western Australia a target of 246 for victory. They reached 5/205 and Victoria avoided defeat. A fortnight later, Harvey again captained the team and made a duck in his only innings in a rain-curtailed match. After the Victorians had made 412, Queensland reached 5/144 at the end of the match. Despite being the captain, Harvey was dropped for the next match and was overlooked for the rest of the season, ending with 351 runs at 35.10.
After being dropped for the second half of the previous season, Harvey had even less opportunities in 1948–49. His only matches for Victoria came during the Christmas period, when he played consecutive fixtures, both against Tasmania. Although the two games had first-class status, they were effectively Second XI fixtures, as the first-choice team was playing Sheffield Shield matches at the same time. Victoria only batted once in each innings and Harvey made 7 and 36 respectively. Harvey captained the team, and they dominated both matches. The Victorians took a first-innings lead of 171 in the first match, but rain interruptions ended the match with Tasmania at 1/100 in their second innings, still 71 runs in arrears. In the second match, Victoria dismissed their opponents for 65 in the first innings to take a lead of 309 runs and they went on to win by an innings and 73 runs. Having seen his previous four matches as captain end in a draw, Harvey ended his first-class career with his only victory as a leader in his final match.
Harvey continued playing in the First XI for Fitzroy until 1954–55, and he finished with 6,654 runs at 29.31 in 207 First XI matches for the club. Harvey was an attacking opening batsman, strong on the drive and fond of hooking fast bowling. His brother Neil called him "the greatest cricketer of us all".
. He had two sons, Jeff and Graeme, both of whom played in first grade for Fitzroy. His grandson Robert Harvey
—son of Jeff—was one of the leading Australian rules football
ers of the 1990s and the early 21st century. Robert made his Australian Football League
debut for St Kilda Football Club in 1988 and played 21 seasons. He was a member of the All-Australian team eight times and won the Brownlow Medal
twice, in 1997 and 1998, for the best and fairest player. Robert played for Victoria at Under-19 level as a bowler, but he was already playing top-flight football at the time and gave up his cricket career after the national Under-19 tournament. Another grandson Anthony
, the younger brother of Robert, also played for St Kilda and captained Norwood
to the 1997 SANFL premiership.
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 in one Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for Australia in 1947. His younger brother, Neil
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented 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...
, was one of Australia's finest batsmen since the Second World War, and the pair played together for Victoria during the latter part of Merv’s career.
Merv Harvey broke into the Victorian state team
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
during the 1940–41 season and played in three first-class
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...
matches. The highlight of the first phase of his career for Victoria was a rapid 70 in one hour against a New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
attack containing Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (cricketer)
William Joseph "Bill" O'Reilly , often known as Tiger O'Reilly, was an Australian cricketer, rated as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. Following his retirement from playing, he became a well-respected cricket writer and broadcaster.O'Reilly was one of the best spin bowlers to...
, regarded as the best bowler in the world at the time. However, the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific caused the suspension of top-level cricket and halted Harvey’s progress. Harvey then served in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
as an airframe fitter, losing his best cricketing years to the war.
An opening batsman, Harvey was described by Neil as "the greatest cricketer of us all" and known for his attacking style and penchant for hooking fast bowlers. He was initially overlooked for Victorian selection after cricket resumed in 1945–46, before being recalled for the final match of the season, and he responded by scoring a career-best 163. He was a regular member of the Victorian team during the 1946–47 season, and although he faced much competition for national selection as Australia had an abundance of quality openers at the time, he was selected for his only Test during the Fourth Test of the season against England at the Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
when both Bill Brown
Bill Brown (cricketer)
William Alfred "Bill" Brown, OAM was an Australian cricketer who played 22 Tests between 1934 and 1948, captaining his country in one Test. A right-handed opening batsman, his partnership with Jack Fingleton in the 1930s is regarded as one of the finest in Australian Test history...
and Sid Barnes
Sid Barnes
Sidney George Barnes was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War...
were injured. Harvey made 12 and 31 before being dropped immediately due to Barnes’ recovery.
In 1947–48, Harvey played with younger brothers Neil and Ray
Ray Harvey
Raymond Harvey is a former Australian 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...
in two matches for Victoria, captaining the team in the second of these fixtures. However, his own form began to wane and he was dropped from the team mid-way through the season. In 1948–49, Harvey remained outside the first-choice team, and played in only two first-class matches against Tasmania when Victoria fielded a second-string team. He retired at the end of the season, having played only 22 first-class matches in an interrupted career. Harvey captained his state five times during the post-war phase of his career, standing in when regular captain Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
was away on national duty.
Early years
Merv Harvey was born in Broken Hill, New South WalesBroken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
to Horace "Horrie" and Elsie Harvey. Horace worked for BHP
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
driving horse-drawn trailers. Merv was the second child in the family and the oldest son. Five younger brothers were to follow, in chronological order Mick
Mick Harvey (umpire)
Clarence Edgar Harvey, , is a former first-class cricketer and Australian Test cricket umpire. He was the brother of Test batsmen Merv and Neil Harvey....
, Harold, Ray
Ray Harvey
Raymond Harvey is a former Australian 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...
, Neil
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented 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...
and Brian. The family relocated to Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, a mining town and harbour in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, before shifting to the inner-Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
, a staunchly working-class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
, industrial area. 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 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 Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
-descended Horace raised his family as strict Methodists
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, disallowing gambling, alcohol, tobacco and profanity in his household. An ardent cricketer during his years in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, he 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.
As recreational facilities and grass ovals were sparse in densely populated Fitzroy, Merv and his younger brothers played cricket in a cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
laneway between their terraced house
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
. Here they played cricket with a tennis ball
Tennis ball
A tennis ball is a ball designed for the sport of tennis,approximately 6.7 cm in diameter. Tennis balls are generally bright green, but in recreational play can be virtually any color. Tennis balls are covered in a fibrous fluffy felt which modifies their aerodynamic properties...
, home made cricket bat
Cricket bat
A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batsmen in the sport of cricket to hit the ball. It is usually made of willow wood. Its use is first mentioned in 1624....
and a kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
tin for a wicket. They were usually joined by other local children, two of whom became elite sportsmen: Allan Ruthven
Allan Ruthven
Allan Ruthven was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League. He played his entire 222 game career with Fitzroy. In 1950, Ruthven won the prestigious Brownlow medal.- Playing career :...
and Harold Shillinglaw
Harold Shillinglaw
Harold Arthur Edward Shillinglaw is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League ....
. The group also played Australian rules football, kicking around rolled up cardboard and newspaper. Much of 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 a marble instead of a ball, and a miniature bat. This sharpened their reflexes.
Merv was the first of the brothers to attend the nearby George Street State School and join 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 the club's facilities.Harvey, pp. 26–27. All of the Harvey brothers were recipients were of this medal. At Fitzroy, they came under the influence of former Victorian
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
Arthur Liddicut and the club’s veteran captain Joe Plant. Merv and his younger siblings had no formal coaching, and their father, 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 the 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 Fitzroy, often competing in matches played as curtain raiser
Curtain raiser (drama)
A curtain raiser is a performance, stage act, show, actor or performer that opens a show for the main attraction. The term is derived from the act of raising the stage curtain...
s to the elite Australian rules football competition, the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. Saturday night entertainment for the family typically consisted of dinner after the day’s cricket matches for Fitzroy, and Plant, Liddicut and other cricket club personnel were often invited. Under the influence of Plant and Liddicut, the boys were taught to adopt an aggressive approach, using fast feet movement to attack spin bowling
Spin bowling
Spin bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as spinners or spin bowlers.-Purpose:The main aim of spin bowling is to bowl the cricket ball with rapid rotation so that when it bounces on the pitch it will deviate, thus making it difficult for the...
in particular. In 1932, Harvey captained the Victorian Under-15 schoolboys team on a tour of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and one of his players was future Victorian and Australian teammate Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
.Coleman, pp. 473–478. Harvey graduated to Fitzroy's first XI in 1933–34.
First-class beginnings
During the 1938–39 season, Harvey was selected for the VictorianVictorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
Second XI to play in a match against their counterparts from New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
. Harvey was run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
for four in the first innings and then made eight as his team succumbed to a 227-run defeat. As a result, he was not called up into the First XI for the next two years.
Harvey made his first-class
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...
debut for Victoria against Queensland at the Gabba in 1940–41. In the first innings, he made 25 before being caught by wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
Don Tallon
Don Tallon
Donald "Don" Tallon was an Australian cricketer who played 21 Test matches as a wicket-keeper between 1946 and 1953...
from the bowling of Jack Ellis as the visitors took first innings points in a drawn match. In the next match, he made an impression. After making 35 in the first innings, he scored 70 in an hour's batting in the second innings at the SCG against New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
. In both innings, he was dismissed by leg spin
Leg spin
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the ball to spin from right to left in the cricket pitch, at the point of delivery. When the ball bounces, the spin causes the ball to deviate sharply from right to left, that...
ner Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (cricketer)
William Joseph "Bill" O'Reilly , often known as Tiger O'Reilly, was an Australian cricketer, rated as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. Following his retirement from playing, he became a well-respected cricket writer and broadcaster.O'Reilly was one of the best spin bowlers to...
, the leading bowler in the world, but Victoria managed to prevail by 24 runs. The teams met again three weeks later, and this time, New South Wales turned the table, winning by 235 runs. Harvey made 14 in the first innings, bowled by O'Reilly for the second innings in a row. In the second innings he made 38 before being removed by another leg spinner, Cec Pepper
Cec Pepper
Cecil George Pepper was an Australian first-class cricketer. An allrounder, he was the first to complete the double twice in the Central Lancashire League. With the bat he once hit 38 runs off an eight ball over....
. Harvey ended the season with 182 runs at 36.40.
Harvey enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF) at Fitzroy on 12 May 1942 and was a member of the 30 Squadron
No. 30 Squadron RAAF
No. 30 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force . Raised in 1942 as a fighter unit, the Squadron saw action in the Second World War and later served in the target towing and surface-to-air missile roles. After a long period of disbandment lasting from the late 1960s, No...
. He served as an airframe fitter during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, which severely interrupted his sporting career, and first-class cricket was cancelled after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor prompted the outbreak of hostilities in the Pacific. He was discharged on 25 January 1946 with the rank of aircraftman. According to cricket administrator Bill Jacobs, the war cost Harvey his prime cricketing years. Jacobs believed that Harvey would have been selected for Australia in the period otherwise interrupted by war.
Post-war resumption and only Test
After the war ended in 1945, first-class cricket resumed in 1945–46. Harvey played in a trial match for state selection. Playing for the Rest of Victoria against the first-choice state team, he made 82 and 25. This was not enough to convince the state selectors and Harvey did not get a recall to the Victorian team until the end of the season when he played against South Australia at the Adelaide OvalAdelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
. He responded by striking a career-best 163 to help his team to an innings win.
Immediately after the war, Harvey faced a lot of competition for a place as an opening batsman in the Australian team, but a vacancy arose in 1946–47, when Bill Brown
Bill Brown (cricketer)
William Alfred "Bill" Brown, OAM was an Australian cricketer who played 22 Tests between 1934 and 1948, captaining his country in one Test. A right-handed opening batsman, his partnership with Jack Fingleton in the 1930s is regarded as one of the finest in Australian Test history...
, who had captained Australia the previous season and opened for the country in Tests in the 1930s, was sidelined with injury for the whole summer.
In the first match of the season, Harvey’s Victorians faced the touring England cricket team led by Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Walter Reginald "Wally" Hammond was an English Test cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning his career as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed captain of England...
.Coleman, p. 560. In the first innings, Harvey made 21 of the team’s 189 before being caught and bowled by leg spinner Doug Wright
Doug Wright (cricketer)
Douglas Vivian Parson Wright, better known as Doug Wright was an English cricketer. A leg-spinner for Kent and England from 1932 to 1957 he took a record seven hat-tricks in first class cricket. He played for Kent for 25 years and was their first professional captain from late 1953 to 1956...
. He then made 57 before being dismissed by Alec Bedser
Alec Bedser
Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
as the hosts fell for only 204 in pursuit of 449 for victory, losing by 244 runs.
This was enough for him to be selected in the Australian XI for a match against the Englishmen, in what was effectively a Test dress rehearsal. Rain curtailed the match, and the game did not reach the second innings; Harvey made 22 in his only opportunity.
There was another match for Victoria against South Australia before the Tests, allowing him another chance to push his claim for national selection. It was also his first Sheffield Shield match; his previous appearances for Victoria in interstate games were in seasons where the competition was called off due to war and replaced by one-off matches. Harvey could manage only 9 as Victoria amassed 548 in their first innings. They needed 79 runs for victory in 35 minutes on the last afternoon, and with quick scoring required, the more aggressive Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
opened in place of Harvey. When the first wicket fell with the target almost completed, Harvey came in and made three not out by the time the match was over.Whitington, p. 109. These performances were not enough for the Australian selectors and Harvey was overlooked for the team for the first two Tests.
After this, Harvey had two opportunities to press for selection for the next Test. He made 13 in an innings victory over Queensland and continued to be overlooked. The second match was the Shield clash with arch-rivals New South Wales, which started on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
at the MCG. After the visitors had made 205, Harvey opened with Ken Meuleman
Ken Meuleman
Kenneth Douglas Meuleman was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test in 1946....
, who was out at 1/31, bringing Miller to the crease. Miller hammered the bowling and Victoria were 1/154 at the end of the day. The next day, the 271-run partnership ended after just over three hours when Miller fell at 2/302. Harvey went on to make 136 in what was generally regarded as his best innings.Coleman, pp. 559–561. He famously hooked
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
leading Australian paceman
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
, the fastest in the world at the time, over the fence into the public bar for six. It was one of the few occasions that Lindwall was hit for six in his long career. Victoria declared at 8/560, Test bowlers Lindwall and Ernie Toshack
Ernie Toshack
Ernest Raymond Herbert Toshack was an Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests from 1946 to 1948. A left arm medium paced bowler who was known for his accuracy and stamina in his application of leg theory, Toshack was best known for being as member of Don Bradman's Invincibles that toured...
taking the most punishment with figures of 1/100 and 0/133 from 18 and 21 overs respectively, as Victoria went on to win by an innings and 114 runs.
In the return match against Queensland, Harvey made 17 as Victoria took a convincing innings win. In the next match against New South Wales, Harvey played with Neil for the first time at first-class level, and pair played together for their state’s two remaining matches of the season, although they never batted together as Merv was always out before Neil came in, usually at No. 6. Merv made 30 and 44, failing to capitalise on his starts to make a big score with a Test vacancy beckoning; incumbent opener Sid Barnes
Sid Barnes
Sidney George Barnes was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War...
was injured and unavailable for the Fourth Test.
Nevertheless Harvey was selected to play his only Test, the Fourth Test at Adelaide, filling in for the injured Barnes. England batted first and made 460 before being dismissed late on the second day. Harvey opened with Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris
Arthur Robert Morris MBE is a former Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side, which made an undefeated tour of...
, and made 12 in the first innings before being bowled by Bedser while playing an aggressive shot. With only a few minutes of play left, the Australian captain Don Bradman came in and he too was bowled by Bedser, without scoring a run. Harvey later privately said the Bradman had told him to play cautiously and survive until the end of the day, rather than attack, and that the captain was angry with the resulting two wickets. According to Harvey, Bradman told him that he would never be selected for Australia again. The tourists then declared during the last afternoon and left Australia a target of 314. The target was not a realistic offer and Morris and Harvey put on an opening stand of 116 before the latter was bowled for 31 by the medium pace of occasional bowler Norman Yardley
Norman Yardley
Norman Walter Dransfield Yardley was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England, as a right-handed batsman and occasional bowler. An amateur, he captained Yorkshire from 1948 to 1955 and England on fourteen occasions between 1947 and 1950,...
. The match ended in a draw with Australia on 1/215.
Barnes recovered and resumed his position for the Fifth Test. Harvey ended his season by scoring 10 in his only innings of Victoria’s second tour match against England, which was drawn, and was 3 not out in the first innings of the Shield match against South Australia when it was washed out. Harvey made his captaincy debut in the latter match as Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
was representing Australia in the Fifth Test, and his bowlers dismissed South Australia for 222 in Victoria’s only innings in the field. This washed-out drawn match was the only time in six Shield matches during the season that Victoria did not emerge victorious, and they won the competition. Harvey ended the season with 405 runs at 33.75.
Final seasons
By 1947–48, Brown had recovered,Robinson, pp. 197–200. so Harvey had to compete with him as well as Morris and Barnes for selection. In the first match of the season against the touring Indians, Harvey made 4 and 35. The following week, he made 89 in the first innings against South Australia but managed only three in the second innings as the Victorians collapsed to be all out for 182 and lost by nine wickets. Harvey was overlooked for the Australian XI for the Test trial against India the following week. Instead, he played in the match against Queensland, scoring only 13 and 3. He was subsequently overlooked for the Test selection. During this time, he played alongside Neil in all but the Queensland match, when his younger brother was playing in the Australian XI. However, neither batted together.Neil returned to the Victorian team for the match against New South Wales at the SCG the following week, and Ray was selected to make his first-class debut, so three Harveys were in the state team for the first time. Merv opened, while Neil and Ray batted at Nos. 4 and 7 respectively. Victoria batted first and the brothers again did not form any partnerships. Merv opened and made 45 as Victoria ended with 331; 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
Fred Freer
Frederick Alfred William Freer was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test in 1946. He was a fast-medium bowler more accuarte than Keith Miller. He was called into the team for the Second Test in Sydney after Ray Lindwall was struck down by chickenpox...
at 1/24, captain Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
elevated Ray to No. 3, allowing two Harveys to bat together for 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 trio then proceeded to play together in the next match against Western Australia two weeks later and Merv captained the team as Hassett was away on Test duty. Victoria batted first and Neil came in to join Merv with the score at 2/102, and the pair added 173 together before the younger brother fell for 94. One run later, Merv was out for 141 in what turned out to be his final first-class century; later, Ray made only 1. Victoria ended on 370 and Western Australia took a 59-run lead. In the second innings, Merv made 6 and did not bat with his brothers. He declared the innings at 9/304, setting Western Australia a target of 246 for victory. They reached 5/205 and Victoria avoided defeat. A fortnight later, Harvey again captained the team and made a duck in his only innings in a rain-curtailed match. After the Victorians had made 412, Queensland reached 5/144 at the end of the match. Despite being the captain, Harvey was dropped for the next match and was overlooked for the rest of the season, ending with 351 runs at 35.10.
After being dropped for the second half of the previous season, Harvey had even less opportunities in 1948–49. His only matches for Victoria came during the Christmas period, when he played consecutive fixtures, both against Tasmania. Although the two games had first-class status, they were effectively Second XI fixtures, as the first-choice team was playing Sheffield Shield matches at the same time. Victoria only batted once in each innings and Harvey made 7 and 36 respectively. Harvey captained the team, and they dominated both matches. The Victorians took a first-innings lead of 171 in the first match, but rain interruptions ended the match with Tasmania at 1/100 in their second innings, still 71 runs in arrears. In the second match, Victoria dismissed their opponents for 65 in the first innings to take a lead of 309 runs and they went on to win by an innings and 73 runs. Having seen his previous four matches as captain end in a draw, Harvey ended his first-class career with his only victory as a leader in his final match.
Harvey continued playing in the First XI for Fitzroy until 1954–55, and he finished with 6,654 runs at 29.31 in 207 First XI matches for the club. Harvey was an attacking opening batsman, strong on the drive and fond of hooking fast bowling. His brother Neil called him "the greatest cricketer of us all".
Outside cricket
Harvey worked for more than five decades for the same engineering firm, and lived with his wife Myrtle in the western industrial suburb of FootscrayFootscray, Victoria
Footscray is a suburb 5 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Footscray had a population of 11,401....
. He had two sons, Jeff and Graeme, both of whom played in first grade for Fitzroy. His grandson Robert Harvey
Robert Harvey (footballer)
Robert Jeffrey Harvey is a former Australian rules football player for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League...
—son of Jeff—was one of the leading Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
ers of the 1990s and the early 21st century. Robert made his Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
debut for St Kilda Football Club in 1988 and played 21 seasons. He was a member of the All-Australian team eight times and won the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
twice, in 1997 and 1998, for the best and fairest player. Robert played for Victoria at Under-19 level as a bowler, but he was already playing top-flight football at the time and gave up his cricket career after the national Under-19 tournament. Another grandson Anthony
Anthony Harvey (footballer)
Anthony Harvey is a former Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Australian Football League and Norwood in the South Australian National Football League ....
, the younger brother of Robert, also played for St Kilda and captained Norwood
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
to the 1997 SANFL premiership.