Brilliant Beth scoops Sussex award

Beth Harvey was named the county’s most improved player in the under-15 girls’ side having made great progress over the past year.

This was Harvey’s first year in the Sussex set-up and she was the only player in the squad not possessing previous county cricket experience. She went from just making the squad to opening the bowling in the national T20 finals where Sussex finished runners-up to Lancashire in a two-day event at Leamington Spa.

A right-arm over bowler who wobbles it around rather like her father Ian, Harvey regularly beats the bat and invariably returns very economical figures. In fact, she had the second best economy rate of the Sussex under-15 bowlers.

Harvey kept things tight opening the bowling for Hastings Priory Ladies in their Sussex Cup final victory over Ansty and the 15-year-old is also a very good ‘death’ bowler. She was on a hat-trick in the final over of a late season friendly for men’s team Sedlescombe.

The Bexhill High School pupil is certainly not just a bowler, however. Her fielding has improved this year and her batting has also come on to the point where she bats in the top six for Priory Ladies.

Above all, though, she just loves cricket and will play anywhere she can get a game. As well as Sussex, Priory and Sedlescombe, Harvey plays in Bexhill Cricket Club’s boys’ sides and men’s fifth team. At one point in the summer she played nine matches in as many days.

Harvey, whose older brother Will plays for Bexhill’s third and fourth teams, is now looking forward to being part of the Sussex under-17 set-up in 2014. Her father wished to thank all the teams she has played for.