Harvey hopes to reach Oval via Hampstead

14 April 2012

James Anderson may have put Burnley Cricket Club on the map with his wicket-taking heroics for England, but Mark Harvey has his chance to grab some of the limelight this weekend.

Burnley born and bred, the 29-year-old former Lancashire batsman is scoring his runs these days in the very different surroundings of north London.

Harvey is captain and prolific opening bat for Hampstead who are at home to Basingstoke on Sunday in the fourth round of the £12,000 Evening Standard Challenge Trophy.

The winners will be two matches away from a trip to The Oval for the final on 14 September. Harvey, a former England Under-19 batsman, is in his third season with the club after being released by Lancashire.

He now works for Sky Sports as part of their cricket production team and has led Hampstead to the top of the Middlesex League's Division Two. His opening partnership with the explosive Gary Headley is one of the most dangerous in club cricket.

In the previous round, they both scored centuries as Hampstead enjoyed a nine-wicket victory over last year's National Knockout winners, Saffron Walden.

"The main aim is promotion and to get back into the top division," said Harvey. "But the Cup is a terrific bonus and it would really put our club on the map if we could go all the way to The Oval. There is no doubt we have the ability. However, we thought that two years ago when we reached the quarter-finals but then lost to Wanstead. That defeat still hurts a lot of people at the club."

Hampstead include former Somerset and Glamorgan seam bowler Darren Foster and ex-Nottinghamshire bowler Andy Oram, who works alongside his captain at Sky Sports.

Sunday's ties feature four former winners of the trophy. Brondesbury visit BWIA Cavaliers, Finchley travel to Beaconsfield, Wanstead cross the Thames to Lordswood in Kent and Malden Wanderers entertain Bexley.

Wimbledon, the Challenge Trophy's great underachievers from Surrey, are at home to Dartford. The Surrey League champions beat Richmond by 17 runs in the last round with former Essex and Surrey off-spinner Richard Pearson taking four for 16 after Jonathan Wileman had compiled 105 not out from a total of 176 for seven.

Sunday's fourth round: Beaconsfield v Finchley, Wimbledon v Dartford, Beckenham v Radlett, Malden Wanderers v Bexley, Hampstead v Basingstoke, Lordswood v Wanstead, Walton-on-Thames v Enfield, BWIA Cavaliers v Brondesbury. Quarter-finals: 3 August Semi-finals: 17 August Final (The Oval): 14 September.

For further inform ation and results see www.capitalcounty.com/eveningstandard

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