Lancashire: Harvey steps in (5 Aug 1997)

5 August 1997

Harvey steps in

Lancashire Evening Telegraph

MARK Harvey will make his first championship appearance for two years for Lancashire at Blackpool tomorrow.

Harvey has been called up for the game against Warwickshire in place of Andy Flintoff, who is captaining England Under 19s against Zimbabwe, in the only change from the team which draw at Hampshire two weeks ago.

Harvey won the man of the match award in his last first team game, hitting 86 in the NatWest Trophy tie against Berkshire at Old Trafford in June, but has had to wait for another chance.

He gets it almost by default, as Lancashire are again without Test pair Mike Atherton and John Crawley, with Steve Titchard and Glen Chapple still injured.

It is a tough game for the 23-year-old's return as the Warwickshire attack will be spearheaded by Allan Donald, who bowled them to an innings victory over Sussex at Edgbaston last weekend. The controversy over Flintoff's absence on England Under 19 duty rumbles on, especially as team mate Ben Hollioake has now been pulled out of the junior series to play in the Fifth Test against Australia.

England have crushed Zimbabwe in both limited overs matches with Flintoff smashing 72 from 43 balls and sharing a partnership of 140 with Hollioake yesterday in an eight wicket victory at Southampton.

But while Northamptonshire's David Sales and Middlesex's Owais Shah have also been cleared to return to their counties for tomorrow's round of championship matches, Flintoff stays as captain - with Lancashire's blessing, even though he scored his maiden first class century in their last game against Hampshire.

Lancashire slipped back to 10th in the table by missing out on the last round of fixtures while Warwickshire's win kept them sixth, on the fringe of the title race.

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)