Worcestershire sign 'Englishman' Harrity

South Australia and Australia A fast bowler Mark Harrity has signed a two-year contract to play for Worcestershire next season, but not as an overseas player. 28 year-old Harrity has played for the Australian state team since the 1993/94 season, but has just realised he can claim a British passport as his father was born in the United Kingdom. The England and Wales Cricket Board has therefore classified Harrity as a non-overseas player.

However, there is a stipulation that Harrity will no longer play in domestic cricket in Australia or for any Australian representative side. The South Australian authorities have reacted to this by replacing him in the team due to play against Western Australia in the ING Cup tomorrow.

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.

"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.

Speaking on behalf of athletes 1, Harrity's management company in England, David Ligertwood said: " We are delighted that the ECB has used its discretion in this way. It means so much to Mark to come over here and play for Worcestershire that he was happy to make the big sacrifice of no longer playing for South Australia as a local player.

"Mark is a big signing for Worcestershire, as he has genuine pace and is a left-armer who swings the ball back into the right-hander."

Director of cricket for Worcestershire, Tom Moody, currently in Australia said, "I'm thrilled that Mark has decided to take up this opportunity at Worcestershire. He will provide us with the left-arm variation that we recently lost with Alamgir Sheriyar's departure to Kent. Mark will also surprise not only opposition batsmen but many cricket followers with his genuine pace."

Harrity played 73 first-class matches for South Australia, taking 197 wickets at an average of 38.37, with a career-best performance of five for 65. He made his limited-overs debut for South Australia in 1995 and took 64 wickets in that competition at an average of 26.46 with a best bowling performance of five for 42.