Steve Harmison

Infobox cricketer biography
playername = Steve Harmison


country = England
fullname = Stephen James Harmison
nickname = Harmy, Grievous Bodily Harmison
living = true
dayofbirth = 23
monthofbirth = 10
yearofbirth = 1978
placeofbirth = Ashington, Northumberland
countryofbirth = England
heightft = 6
heightinch = 4
batting = Right-handed
bowling = Right-arm fast
role = Fast bowler
international = true
testdebutdate = 8 August
testdebutyear = 2002
testdebutagainst = India
testc

lasttestdate = 7 August
lasttestyear = 2008
lasttestagainst = South Africa
odidebutdate = 17 December
odidebutyear = 2002
odidebutagainst = Sri Lanka
odic

lastodidate = 3 September
lastodiyear = 2008
lastodiagainst = South Africa
odishirt = 10 (previously 28)
club1 = Durham
year1 = 1996 – present
clubnumber1 = 10
club2 = MCC
year2 = 2007
deliveries = balls
columns = 4
column1 = Tests
matches1 = 58
runs1 = 691
bat avg1 = 11.91
100s/50s1 = 0/0
top score1 = 49*
deliveries1 = 12,663
wickets1 = 216
bowl avg1 = 31.42
fivefor1 = 8
tenfor1 = 1
best bowling1 = 7/12
catches/stumpings1 = 7/–
column2 = ODI
matches2 = 51
runs2 = 67
bat avg2 = 7.44
100s/50s2 = 0/0
top score2 = 13*
deliveries2 = 2,587
wickets2 = 72
bowl avg2 = 30.09
fivefor2 = 1
tenfor2 = n/a
best bowling2 = 5/33
catches/stumpings2 = 8/–
column3 = FC
matches3 = 168
runs3 = 1,675
bat avg3 = 10.27
100s/50s3 = 0/0
top score3 = 49*
deliveries3 = 32,784
wickets3 = 607
bowl avg3 = 28.31
fivefor3 = 22
tenfor3 = 1
best bowling3 = 7/12
catches/stumpings3 = 25/–
column4 = LA
matches4 = 128
runs4 = 230
bat avg4 = 7.66
100s/50s4 = 0/0
top score4 = 25*
deliveries4 = 6,202
wickets4 = 174
bowl avg4 = 28.89
fivefor4 = 1
tenfor4 = n/a
best bowling4 = 5/33
catches/stumpings4 = 19/–
date = 04 October
year = 2008
source = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/7/7023/7023.html CricketArchive

Stephen James Harmison MBE (born 23 October 1978, Ashington, Northumberland) is an England cricketer, and a leading Test match fast bowler. He plays county cricket for Durham. With his height (6'4") he can extract pace and bounce from most pitches. While poor form led to him being dropped from the team in New Zealand in 2007, he returned to the England side in 2008 against South Africa.

International career

Initial selection

Harmison was first selected for an England squad in May 2000 during the tour to England by Zimbabwe, but did not play. As part of an ECB National Academy touring team that also contained Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell and Robert Key, Harmison showed clear signs of his ability in the tour of Australia in 2001/2002. In August 2002, Harmison made his Test match debut at Trent Bridge against India, replacing the injured Simon Jones.

Originally lacking somewhat in control, he bowled seven consecutive wides in the first match of the tour of Australia, against the ACB Chairman's XI's at Lilac Hill in 2002. However, promising performances later in the tour saw him named in the World Cup squad, although he wasn't used in any of the matches. He was then awarded with a six month central contract by the ECB, but this was not renewed in September 2003.

Despite media complaints about his ability, he was named in the England squad for the winter tour to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, partially due to injuries to other players. Harmison gave a man-of-the-match performance in the opening Test against Bangladesh, taking 9 wickets for 79 on a slow wicket, before succumbing to a back injury and missing the matches against Sri Lanka. Despite the injury, he'd done enough to be selected for the winter tour to the West Indies, and it was there he sealed his arrival, taking 7 wickets at the cost of just 12 runs as the West Indies collapsed to their lowest ever Test total of 47 all out. Harmison went on to win the Man-of-the-Series award after taking 23 wickets in the four Tests.

West Indies in 2004

With the West Indies touring England in 2004, it was expected that Harmison, who had also shone in the three-match Test series against New Zealand earlier in 2004, would again be England's lead bowler, and the West Indies captain Brian Lara went as far as suggesting that England had no plan B after Harmison. However, Harmison was outshone by spin bowler Ashley Giles for the first three Tests, before he took 9 wickets in the final Test match. In that final match, he also punished the West Indies bowling with the bat, hitting three sixes and three fours in a brief innings ending at 34 not out. Harmison's bowling performance in this match took him to the top of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Cricket Ratings. In 2004, Harmison took 67 wickets in just 13 matches, at a superb average of 23.92.

Harmison disappointed with the ball on the 2004/05 England tour of South Africa, taking just 9 wickets in the Test series at the extremely high average of 73.22. During this series, he spoke frankly about his homesickness on foreign tours. However, his solid performances with the bat, including an innings high score of 42 in the 3rd Test, led some commentators to note, not altogether jokingly, that he was now making a case to be considered a tail all-rounder. Despite these disappointments, he was still named as one of five cricketers of the year by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack in 2005.

Ashes tests

In summer 2005 Harmison was part of the England team that regained The Ashes from Australia. He started the series well, with a hostile opening spell in the , and although later outshone by Flintoff and Jones, exerted pressure and claimed important wickets throughout. His most important and dazzling wicket some might say was the slower-ball yorker with which he bowled Michael Clarke. As the commentator Mark Nicholas said, 'Stephen Harmison, with a slower ball, one of the great balls. Given the batsmen, given the match, that is a staggering gamble that has paid off...' Harmison also took the final wicket of Michael Kasprowicz the next day, caught behind by Geraint Jones, to turn around an almost certain 2-0 series deficit into a tied series and with it the momentum of the series.

In July 2006, during the series against Pakistan, Harmison took 6-19 off just 13 overs in the first innings as Pakistan were skittled for just 119. In the second he again shared the 10 wickets with Monty Panesar, taking 5-57. He thus took his first 10 wicket haul in a match, taking 11-76. This came in his 45th Test match, and was the best match bowling figures at Old Trafford since Jim Laker's famous 19-90, exactly 50 years previously.

During the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy Harmison's form came under scrutiny, and he was dropped from England's final match against the West Indies.

In November 2006, Harmison bowled the first ball of the eagerly awaited 2006-07 Ashes series at The Gabba in Brisbane, but humiliatingly erred by bowling a wide straight to Andrew Flintoff at second slip. His lacklustre opening spell seemed to set the tone for what proved to be a dismal first day of the series for England and for Harmison in particular. After another below par performance in Adelaide he would find some form in Perth with 4/48 in the 1st innings.

ODI retirement and Sri Lanka

On 21 December 2006, three months before the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Harmison announced his retirement from One Day International cricket after being left out of the squad for the one-day series in Australia. In October 2007, Harmison travelled to South Africa to play domestic cricket before heading to Sri Lanka as part of the England test squad. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7048803.stm "Harmison set for S Africa workout"] BBC News retrieved 17 October 2007] After a shaky start, however, he suffered a back injury on the first day of the second warm up match, having taken one wicket. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7104972.stm "England wait on Harmison injury"] BBC News retrieved 25 November 2007] He was not included in the squad for the first test, however he took three wickets in the second. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/7141957.stm "Sri Lanka v England 2nd Test"] BBC News retrieved 18 December 2007] On 21 August 2008, it was announced that Harmison would return to playing One Day International cricket against South Africa. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7575563.stm "England v South Africa ODI series"] BBC News retrieved 21 August 2008]

Return to England colours

On 7th August 2008 Harmison returned to the England Test team for the Fourth Test match versus South Africa. He took two wickets for 49 runs in helping England to dismiss South Africa for 194 on the first day of the match. Harmison's first ball (the first ball of the match) nearly took a wicket (see picture). In England's first innings Harmison hit a career high test match score of 49 not out (59 balls,8 fours). He ran fellow teammate Monty Panesar out trying to reach 50. After the test series on the 21st of August, Harmison came out of ODI retirement after being persuaded by the new England captain, Kevin Pietersen. On his ODI return versus South Africa on 22nd August, he toook two wickets for 43 runs, this was crucial in England winning the match.

Personal life

Stephen Harmison is married to Hayley and they have three daughters, Emily Alice, Abbie Meg and Isabel Grace, and a newborn son, Charlie. His younger brother Ben currently plays first class cricket for Durham County Cricket Club.

In the 2006 New Year Honours List, Stephen Harmison was awarded the MBE for his role in the successful 2005 Ashes squad.

As a teenager, Harmison played for his local football team, Ashington A.F.C., before deciding to concentrate on cricket. [cite web|url=http://www.ashingtonafc.com/index.php?page=brief-history|title=A Short History of Ashington AFC|accessdate=2008-05-18|work=Ashington A.F.C. official website]

Notes

External links

*cricinfo|ref=england/content/player/14054.html