Stephen James Harmison (born 23 October 1978) is an English former first-class cricketer who played all formats of the game. Primarily a fast bowler, he represented England in 63 Tests, 58 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 2 Twenty20 Internationals. At the domestic level, he played county cricket for Durham and Yorkshire.
| Full name | Stephen James Harmison |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 October 1978 |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in |
| Role | Fast bowler |
| Test debut | 2002 |
| ODI debut | 2002 |
| Last Test | 2009 Ashes (final Test) |
| Last ODI | 2009, against the West Indies |
| Tests played | 63 |
| ODIs played | 58 |
| T20Is played | 2 |
| Domestic teams | Durham, Yorkshire |
| Retired | October 2013 |
| Honour | Wisden Cricketer of the Year, 2005 |
Harmison hails from Ashington in north-east England, the same town whose football club he would later manage. Standing at 6 ft 4 in, his height was a defining feature of his bowling, allowing him to extract steep bounce from a wide variety of surfaces.
Harmison made his Test and ODI debuts for England in 2002. He showed early promise as a strike bowler, and broke through during England's tour of the West Indies in 2003–04, where he produced some of his finest bowling and finished as the highest wicket-taker in the series.
Harmison played a vital role in England's victory in the 2005 Ashes series. For his performances during this period, he was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2005, and was widely regarded at the time as among the world's leading fast bowlers.
Harmison's form after the 2005 Ashes triumph was inconsistent, and he announced his retirement from ODIs in 2006. Recurring fitness concerns and strong competition for places in the England side compounded his problems. The opening ball of the 2006–07 Ashes, which he sent straight to second slip for a wide, was widely cited in the media as a low point of his career.
He came out of ODI retirement in 2008, but never re-established a permanent place in the squad and was dropped from 2009 onwards. His final Test came in the closing match of the 2009 Ashes series, and he played his last ODI later the same year, against the West Indies. He formally retired from cricket in October 2013.
Harmison's success during his prime was attributed to his ability to extract bounce from any pitch — assisted by his height — together with his capacity to swing the ball while maintaining speeds in excess of 90 mph. His career was marked by a contrast between hostile, match-winning spells and patches of inconsistent bowling. In 2007, the former Australian cricketer Shane Warne included Harmison in his list of the 50 greatest cricketers, describing him as one of the most awkward bowlers in the world to face on his day.
After retiring from cricket, Harmison managed his hometown football club, Ashington, between 2015 and 2017.