World War II and First-class Debut
A printer by trade, Harvey first played in the Fitzroy First XI in 1938–39. Mick opened the batting with Merv, and in 1942–43, when Neil broke into the First XI, the family occupied the first four batting positions for the team; Merv and Mick opened and Ray and Neil came in after them. During World War II, Harvey enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force at Fitzroy on 4 March 1943 and was a member of the 39th Infantry Battalion and went on to serve in Kokoda. He was discharged on 29 March 1946 with the rank of private. He resumed cricket with Fitzroy at the war’s end and made enough runs to be selected for Victoria’s first three Sheffield Shield matches of the 1948–49 season. Playing as an opening batsman, he made 10 and 13 on debut against Queensland, and was trapped leg before wicket (lbw) in both innings in an eight-wicket win. In the next match against New South Wales, who boasted Australia’s new ball opening bowlers Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller, Harvey made 19 and 33 in a drawn match. In the subsequent match against South Australia, he made 4 and 12, again being trapped lbw in both innings. The 1948–49 season was purely domestic with no touring Test team, so all of Australia’s international representatives were available for the whole season. Having scored only 91 runs at a batting average of 15.16, Harvey was dropped from the team. He did not play alongside Ray, who was dropped, and Merv, who had retired. It was Harvey's last season for Fitzroy, and in 90 first-grade matches, he scored 2,601 runs at an average of 30.24.
Read more about this topic: Mick Harvey (umpire)
Famous quotes containing the words world, war and/or debut:
“Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Signal smokes, war drums, feathered bonnets against the western sky. New messiahs, young leaders are ready to hurl the finest light cavalry in the world against Fort Stark. In the Kiowa village, the beat of drums echoes in the pulsebeat of the young braves. Fighters under a common banner, old quarrels forgotten, Comanche rides with Arapaho, Apache with Cheyenne. All chant of war. War to drive the white man forever from the red man’s hunting ground.”
—Frank S. Nugent (1908–1965)
“Had I been less resolved to work, I would perhaps had made an effort to begin immediately. But since my resolution was formal and before twenty four hours, in the empty slots of the next day where everything fit so nicely because I was not yet there, it was better not to choose a night at which I was not well-disposed for a debut to which the following days proved, alas, no more propitious.... Unfortunately, the following day was not the exterior and vast day which I had feverishly awaited.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)