Mark "Hags" Harrity moves to UK

The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) has announced that 28-year-old paceman Mark Harrity, has accepted a contract with Worcestershire Country Cricket Club, making him unable to continue playing first-class cricket for South Australia.

Harrity, who has been contracted by the SACA since the 1993/94 season, has accepted a two-year contract to play for Worcestershire, and will be classified as a local in England. This classification means that, effective today (January 31), Harrity is unable to continue playing for the West End Redbacks.

The SACA's cricket operations manager, Mr Harvey Jolly, said that Mark has been an enormous talent and asset to cricket in South Australia during the past decade and he will be sadly missed by his team mates and work colleagues.

"Mark has been a valuable asset to the Redbacks for a more than a decade now - a length of time which has earned him significant respect from around the world. The Worcestershire contract is testament to his talent."

"Mark has been one of the true characters around Adelaide Oval for a long time, and I know that his team mates and the staff at SACA will miss his good humour and friendship, and we wish him all the very best for the next stage of his cricketing career," said Mr Jolly.

Harrity, affectionately known as Hags, has played 73 first-class matches with South Australia, taking 197 wickets at an average of 38.37, with a career best performance of 5 for 65.

Harrity made his limited-overs debut for South Australia in 1995 and has taken 64 wickets in that competition at an average of 26.46 with a best bowling performance of 5 for 42.

Replacing Harrity in the Redbacks twelve-man ING Cup squad to take on the Western Warriors at Adelaide Oval tomorrow (February 1), will be 19-year-old paceman Shaun Tait.