Harmison determined to carve his name into the history of Durham

Mar 11 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

Steve Harmison has plenty more to achieve in his career than an unlikely England recall, as chief sports writer Luke Edwards discovered.

WE are constantly making history. With every passing second something else is consigned to record, an achievement, a thought or even a newspaper article.

History is all around us, underneath our feet, above our heads, to the left and to the right. It shapes the world we live in and the way we see it.

At 31, Steve Harmison is increasingly aware of his place in history and how he can make it. When a sportsman approaches the end of his career, when time shows again why it is an undefeated opponent, they are conscious of the legacy they leave behind.

Just as we all eventually wonder how people will remember us on our deathbeds, sportsmen reflect on what they have achieved and how long their feats will be lauded.

As an international cricketer, history will probably be kinder to Harmison than the present. An unfulfilled talent now, he will perhaps only be fully appreciated as the blistering strike bowler he is with the benefit of hindsight.

His England career is not over yet. There could still be one more dramatic chapter to write this summer – or in Australia next winter – but Harmison lives more in hope than expectation.

Even if that recall does not come, if England really have found a new generation of fast bowlers to supersede him, Harmison the cricketer is not ready for his curtain call.

There is one final act, to achieve the one thing which will mean more to him than anything else as a Durham player.

It is the chance to chisel his name into the history books by becoming the county’s leading wicket-taker, by replacing the man who once drove him to practise, Durham’s first homegrown England player, Simon Brown.

“There is an emotional bond there with Durham, there has to be,” said Harmison, his mind and body refreshed by the shock omission from England’s touring party.

“Durham were here in 1992 (as a first-class county) and I came in ’96. People go on about history in places and everybody likes to look back.

“There have only been four years of my life playing cricket when I’ve not been here. This is a massive part of my life, of my history. We are the history of this club. It means a lot. I want to be as successful as I can over the next few years so that when I eventually stop playing, people will still talk about me.

“I want to have left something behind. I was going to say when I was grey and old, but when I’m a little older. I want people to be looking at the record books and wondering whether they will get near me or past me.

“I want to live on here and you can do that in cricket. I want the kids to come through and see what I’ve left behind.

“You have to have that pride. In years to come people will go through the history of the club and they will see my name, they will see the career I’ve had.”

He continued: “The wicket record would be great. It’s something I would like. Simon Brown meant a lot to me, he was my taxi driver for two years.

“He lived near me so my parents would drop me off at his in the morning and he’d take me all over the place. He is somebody I think a lot of and have a lot of respect for. He is someone I looked up to when I first came in, so to go past him would be great.

“If I do that in the next few years Durham will be successful because I’ve still got something like 150 to go to get near it. That’s still two or three seasons away.

“If I do that I’ll have been successful and the knock-on effect is Durham will be successful and we’ll win more titles.”

Harmison should do it. Brown took 518 wickets in 141 games, while Harmison has taken 401 in 110.

He signed a four-year contract at the end of last season and has not ruled out the possibility of playing beyond his 35th birthday. But the body is starting to protest, it is harder to shake off the strains and the niggles, and Harmison knows the end is coming faster than he would like.

“I don’t know how long I can go on for,” he says with raised eyebrows. “I’ve signed a four-year contract and four years is a long time.

“Playing for six months of the year I could possibly go on a bit longer than those four years, but I’ve crammed a hell of a lot into the last 14 years of playing professional cricket.

“The body is creaking a lot when I get out of bed in the mornings, especially when I’ve got four kids bouncing around my head.

“It was getting difficult last season, but the winter off has done me good. I’ve got four years and that’s what I’m looking at.

“I would like to think I can be around this place for years to come in some capacity. I’ve done a lot, seen a lot, and experienced a lot, good and bad. Let’s get the four years out of the way and see what sort of condition my body is in.

“At 35 my career might be over, but my life won’t be. I’m pursuing other interests, other things I can look at. There are a lot of things that could happen in four years. I want to leave Durham having been as successful as possible.”

A tilt at a third Championship title in as many years is the big motivation, but there is also genuine happiness at being the experienced pro. He added: “What gets me out of bed in the morning?

“Playing cricket with some very, very talented young players. I still have that drive and determination to beat teams. I hate getting beat, no matter what sport I’m playing.

“I enjoy getting on the bus, even with all the young uns chirping away. The day I stop enjoying getting on that bus first thing on a Monday morning, travelling for seven or eight hours and then having a net practice I’ll know it’s over.

“I love playing four-day games. I wish I could be around that forever.”

He can’t of course, none of us can. He will go, eventually, but he will make sure he is not forgotten in a hurry.