At the age of just 20, Harmison was called into England A’s tour to South Africa in 1998/99. However, injuries hampered his performance, including one where he incredibly managed to dislocate his shoulder when he caught his hand in his trouser pocket whilst bowling. Harmison was first called into the full England Test squad aged 22 for the May 2000 series against Zimbabwe. Harmison wasn’t played in this series, but it re-affirmed his potential to be a full England international, something Harmison had to wait 2 years for. An injury to Simon Jones before the Trent Bridge Test against India of 2002 gave Harmison his debut. Harmison ended his debut with respectable figures of 5-120, with Ajit Agarka being his first ever Test victim. Following his debut, Harmison was awarded his first central contract in March 2003, but this was not extended 6-months later in September. Despite this, injuries to other bowlers led to Harmison’s recall for the winter tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and it was here that Harmison really made his first mark in international cricket. An excellent 9-79 on a slow wicket in the first Test in Dhaka, Bangladesh led to a Man of the Match award, and got England off to an excellent start in a series which England comfortably won. If this was good, however, it got even better on the following winter tour to the West Indies. In the first Test in Kingston, West Indies started there 2nd innings, 28 runs behind England, needing a large score to put pressure on the England batsmen. However, they hadn’t banked on Steve Harmison, who in an amazing spell of just 12.3 overs, took 7 wickets for just runs, including the wickets of Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Gayle. This brilliant piece of bowling helped England bowl the West Indies out for just 47 runs. This led to Harmison being ranked as one of the World’s top fast-bowlers, indeed Brian Lara claimed that “England had no plan B after Harmison”. However, Harmison started this tour slowly, only finally finding form in the last Test, where he took 9 wickets in the two innings. In the 2004/05 tour to South Africa, Harmison again looked troubled, taking just 9 wickets at a very high average of 73.22. It was during this tour that Harmison admitted his trouble touring and homesickness. The following summer, was the famous Ashes series. Harmison started this series very well, taking 5 Australian wickets in the opening innings and bowling a short one that hit Ricky Ponting in the head, leaving him with a scar for the rest of series. Harmison’s main contributions to the Ashes series, however came in the series turning 2nd Test at Edgbaston. Here, Australia were slowly chipping away at the 282 run target set by England, with Michael Clarke as Australia’s last recognised batsman trying to hold it together. With England struggling to remove him, in came Harmison to bowl a fantastically slow Yorker to bowl Clarke and set up an England victory. Indeed Mark Nicholas described it as “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...”. Despite this, it wasn’t easy for England as Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz put on 59 for the last wicket, leaving Australia just 2 runs from a victory which would put them 2-0 up in the series. Harmison though, bowled a medium short ball at Kasprowicz’s ribs, catching his bat and looping into Geraint Jones’s diving gloves. This victory turned the series in England’s favor. Harmison’s next great England performance was against Pakistan at Old Trafford, where he took 6-19 in the first innings, followed by 5-57 in the second to give him his first 10 wicket haul in Test cricket. His overall 11-76 was the best figures at Old Trafford since Jim Laker took 19-90, exactly 50 years beforehand.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS

• Think you know your sport? Click here to try the Sportnetwork Prize Quizzes