Calvin Harrison went from being a Psychology undergraduate to the third most prolific T20 bowler in the space of a few months in 2021 - a meteoric rise that earned him a two-year contract extension, keeping at Notts until the end of the 2023 season.
He earned his initial Notts contract as a result of scoring 121 and taking 3-9 against them in a pre-season game for Oxford UCCE in March, joining just before the start of the 2021 Vitality Blast competition in which he was to take 20 wickets @13.90 the culmination of years of hard graft, turning out for six different county second teams (Somerset, Warwickshire, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Hampshire and Notts).
Harrison, born in Durban on 29 April 1998, moved from South Africa to New Zealand and then to Taunton in 2012 after winning a sports scholarship to King's College. After completing his schooling he took two years out before starting University and spent a couple of seasons back in New Zealand playing club cricket.
While studying at Oxford Brookes, he made two appearances in first-class cricket for Oxford MCCU in 2019 with Toby Pettman (now also at Notts) as a team mate. He made his T20 debut for Hampshire v Sussex at The Ageas Bowl in September 2020 when his first wicket at that level was the vastly-experienced Ravi Bopara.
His excellent performance against Notts in the pre-season friendly led him to a trial with in the Notts Seconds and his short-term contract. Calvin Harrison made his first-team debut in the tie at New Road and became an ever-present as Notts got to the Blast quarter-finals.
Harrison twice took four wickets in an innings taking 4-17 (including a triple-wicket maiden) against Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston and 4-36 v Durham at Trent Bridge. His best score was 22 not out v Birmingham Bears at Trent Bridge. He received a unexpected call from Simon Katich, coach of the Manchester Originals, offering him a late contract for The Hundred. Harrison was not to disgrace himself in his six appearances in the Competition.
In six appearances for Notts in the Second Eleven Championship in 2021, Harrison scored 96 runs @13.71 with a highest score of 45 v Leicestershire at Kibworth. His best bowling performance was 5-63 v Leicestershire at the Notts Sports Club; he took 17 wickets @15.47. In his nomadic career, he has played 27 games in the competition scoring 604 runs @23.23 and taken 38 wickets @34.05.
In 2022, he was an ever-present in the Outlaws T20 side and was a key member of the Second Eleven, in red-ball and white-ball cricket.
Calvin Harrison made his First-Class debut for Notts in the County Championship game against Essex in May 2023, scoring a useful 31 in the home side's first innings and taking 3-52 when Essex batted out the draw. He also made his List-A debut for the county, playing in six Metro Bank One-Day Cup matches.
In addition to useful performaces with bat and ball, Harrison proved to be a brilliant fielder, particularly close to the wicket; across all three formats, he took 26 catches in the season.
Harrison played club cricket for Taunton Deane CC in the West of England League between 2015 and 2021.
October 2023
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number 668