Tony Harris (sportsman)
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 27 August 1916 Kimberley, South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 7 March 1993 (aged 76) Plettenberg Bay, Cape Province | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut | 7 June 1947 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 12 February 1949 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 15 November 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Terence Anthony Harris (27 August 1916 – 7 March 1993) known as Tony Harris, was a South African sportsman who was the last man to be a dual international of both cricket and rugby union for his country.[1] He represented South Africa in five rugby union Tests during the 1930s as a fly-half,[2] following World War II he played Test cricket three times between 1947 and 1949 as an attacking batsman.[3]
A short man at five feet six inches,[3] Harris was noted for his agility around a rugby pitch which transferred into cricket making him an exceptional fielder.[4][5] An all-round sportsman, he excelled at several other sports including tennis and squash.[3][4]
Rugby career[edit]
Educated at St. Patrick's Christian Brothers' College, Kimberley, Harris played club rugby for Pirates in Johannesburg.[1] Despite the club not putting him forward for international trials, he was selected by South Africa for the tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1937.[1] After losing the first Test to New Zealand, Harris was brought into the team for the second match allowing Danie Craven to switch to his best position of scrum half. South Africa preceded to turn the series around winning 2–1, the only time South Africa ever won a Test series in New Zealand.[6] The following year, he played all three Tests on the British Lions tour of South Africa.[1] Harris was a less conservative fly-half than most of his contemporaries preferring use of grubber kicks to kicking for touch and formed a successful half-back partnership with Craven.[1]
Cricket career[edit]
Harris made his first-class cricket debut in the Currie Cup for Griqualand West aged 17, scoring 114 not out in the second innings of the match against Orange Free State.[7] He later moved to Johannesburg and represented the Transvaal team from the 1936–37 season.[1][8]
Harris scored two centuries during the 1945–46 season and was selected on South Africa's tour of England in 1947.[9] He made his Test debut at Trent Bridge, scoring 60 with "strong square-cuts and cover-drives" according to Wisden.[4][10] After scores of 30 and 3 in the second Test at Lord's, on both occasions dismissed by Denis Compton,[11] Harris was replaced in the Test team by Dennis Dyer.[12] Across the whole tour, Harris played 15 first-class matches, scoring 701 runs at an average of 36.89 with his sole century of the trip coming against Glamorgan.[9][13]
Back in South Africa, Harris topped the batting averages in the 1947–48 Currie Cup with 541 runs at 135.25 including a career best 191 not out.[14] The following season, he scored 98 against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club (England) side[15] and was recalled for the fourth Test in Johannesburg, he scored 6 and 1 not out in what was his final first-class match.[16][8]
Second World War[edit]
During the Second World War, Harris served with the South African Air Force as a pilot.[1] In early 1945, his Spitfire plane was shot down over the Adriatic Sea, after bailing out he was captured as a prisoner of war in Italy.[1][3]
Later life[edit]
After his cricket career, Harris worked for Adidas in South Africa as an agent and manager.[1]
He died on 7 March 1993, aged 76. He was survived by his wife, Betty, and three children.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Tony Harris obituary". The Times. 12 March 1993. Retrieved 16 May 2024 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "Terence Anthony Harris". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Obituaries in 1993". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. 1994. Retrieved 16 May 2024 – via ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ a b c "Obituaries". The Cricketer. Vol. 74, no. 5. May 1993. p. 103. Retrieved 16 May 2024 – via CricketArchive.
- ^ Keating, Frank (27 December 1999). "Fielder of the century". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ Richards, Huw (25 September 2017). "1937 Springboks become greatest side to ever leave New Zealand". ESPN. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Griqualand West v Orange Free State, De Beers Stadium, Kimberley on 15th, 16th, 17th December 1933". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ a b "First-Class Matches played by Tony Harris (55)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ a b "First-Class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Tony Harris". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "England v South Africa 1947, First Test". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. 1948. Retrieved 16 May 2024 – via ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ "England vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Lord's, June 21 - 25, 1947". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "England v South Africa 1947, Third Test". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. 1948. Retrieved 16 May 2024 – via ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ "Glamorgan v South Africans, St Helen's, Swansea on 2nd, 4th, 5th August 1947". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Batting and Fielding in Currie Cup 1947/48 (Ordered by Average)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Transvaal v Marylebone Cricket Club, Ellis Park, Johannesburg on 10th, 11th, 13th December 1948". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "South Africa vs England, 4th Test, Johannesburg, February 12 - 16, 1949". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 May 2024.