Ashley Mallett on Neil Harvey
To me, Harvey was the best Australian batsman since Bradman. He had grit and style and a great sense of adventure. He was dubbed "pocket dynamo" by Ray Robinson, doyen of Australian cricketer writers, and he lived up to that tag.
The first big match I ever saw was the day
at the SCG in 1954-55 when Harvey blasted the England attack for an amazing unconquered 92 in a total of 184. Australia lost the match by 38 runs but he won me forever. I have never seen the equal of Harvey's batting, and I've seen most of the great batsmen of the past 50-odd years.
He had all the shots, the drive, cut, pull and hook. Dapper, and fleet of foot, he was an electrifying batsman who could carve up an attack. His average is less than those of some who played for Australia recently, but Harvey batted against some of the greatest bowlers to bestride the Test stage: South Africa's Neil Adcock, Peter Heine and Hugh Tayfield; England's Alec Bedser, Frank Tyson, Brian Statham, Tony Lock and Jim Laker; and the West Indians Sobers, Wes Hall, Alf Valentine and Sonny Ramadhin.
The quality of the opposition counts when you are picking the best of the best. I fancy that if Harvey were playing today, using a modern bat against the weak West Indies, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Sri Lankan attacks, he would average round 75 in Test cricket.