Len Harris (cricketer)

Leonard Alphonso Harris (3 September 1934 – 16 March 2006) was a West Indian cricketer who played for the Leeward Islands between 1958 and 1971. An opening batsman for much of his career, and occasional bowler in his final seasons, Harris played in West Indian first class cricket, as well as facing the MCC team, England and Australia during his career. He played 27 matches, scoring nearly 1,400 runs at 29.04, including a century, and taking 15 wickets at 19.46. He then went on to play lower-level cricket for St. Kitts until 1976, and helped create the first cricket academy in the Leeward Islands.

Harris played his first match for Leeward Islands on 5 July 1958, against Jamaica at Melbourne Park, in Kingston, Jamaica. Opening the batting, he made 69 and 14, but did not bowl as Jamaica took an innings victory. Harris did not play again that season, however his efforts in this once match were enough for him to reach fourth place in the first-class averages, behind Gary Sobers. Harris did not get a second chance in first-class cricket until 25 February 1960, when he was selected to play against the touring MCC side at the Antigua Recreation Ground. In this match, he batted at three, scoring 16 and 89*. His bowling, two overs for 15 runs, was however expensive, and centuries from MCC players Colin Cowdrey, Raman Subba Row and Ted Dexter put paid to any hope of a result as the match ended in a draw.

Harris waited over another year before playing in a combined Leeward and Windward Islands team against British Guiana on 6 October 1961, in Georgetown. Harris continued his success at the top of the order, scoring 54 in the fist innings. He took a catch to dismiss Clyde Walcott, however he did not bowl once again, and made only one in the third innings as his team collapsed to 84 all out and an innings defeat. Sporadic appearances continued, Harris' next appearance coming on 21 April 1962, against a touring Indian team – once again for the combined Leeward and Windward Islands team. Harris played weakly in both innings, falling for six and 12 as India took victory by 137 runs.