Ribblesdale League: 'I blew it' admits Jon (16 June 1999)

16 June 1999

Ribblesdale League: 'I blew it' admits Jon

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Jonathan Harvey admitted he "blew it" after missing out on a place in Jennings Ribblesdale League history by just six runs.

Harvey was poised to become the first ever player to make three successive league centuries when he holed out in the deep against Clitheroe for 94.

"I blew it, although I didn't expect to get that close," admitted the Earby professional, who had posted scores of 151 and 112 not out in his previous two visits to the crease.

Harvey's dramatic run-chase came about after Earby had raced to their revised victory target of 125 inside 21 overs but then batted out the remainder of the 25 overs needed to ensure a result.

"I was very disappointed having got into that situation. We wanted 125 and once we got to that it was game on.

"But it would probably have been worse if I had got a hundred and we had got beat.

"I probably got a bit nervous just before I got out when I got close and I knew that with one decent hit it would be all over. I just didn't hit it long enough," he added.

Harvey paid tribute to his team-mates for helping him towards the landmark by allowing him the strike at every opportunity

"They have said I've got to start again now," he added.

And he also praised Clitheroe skipper Phil Bishop for risking defeat to try and force a result.

"Clitheroe declared otherwise we would have been there for six-and-a-half hours and gone home without a game. It was up to both sides to want to play," he said.

Harvey's disappointment is tempered by the fact that he has now made almost 500 runs for the season to put himself among the league's leading run-getters and lift Earby to mid-table.

"I'm happy with my run-count now which wasn't looking so good after getting three ducks earlier in the season," admitted Harvey, who will pit his wits against league record scorer Shahid Nawaz when he returns to Clitheroe to take on title-chasing Ribblesdale Wanderers this weekend.

Source :: The Lancashire Evening Telegraph