SAM DALLING goes through the South African's glittering career, speaking to the likes of Tom Westley, Andre Nel and Ronnie Irani to discover the secrets behind his incredible success at Chelmsford
“I just view him as an off-spinner. It’s off-spin. It baffles me how well he does for just being an out and out off-spinner. He’s got some subtle variations and turns it an obscene amount… but he hasn’t even got a doosra. How’s he so good?!”
If you haven’t guessed, the man in question is Simon Harmer; Essex’s prolific superstar. Those are the words of club captain and close friend Tom Westley.
And the skipper is right. It’s not sexy and it’s not glamorous. Leggies are traditionally the cricketing rock stars, their magic wrists riffing away in the night sky.
Of course, there are those in Harmer’s game that did have their share of the limelight. But Saqlain and Murali both had wrong-uns, while Ravi Ashwin has the infamous carrom ball.
It matters little. Harmer is a god amongst men in Chelmsford. It might not look like much to the naked eye, but out in the middle, it's as unplayable as a guitar is devoid of strings.
In 50 first-class outings for Essex, he’s collected 255 wickets. They cost less than 20. Ronnie Irani puts it in lamens terms: “It’s quite simple – if the ball's spinning in and going to hit the stumps, hit the pads, you’re in the game. Off-spin is a wonderful art, it really is. And he’s just kidding them with a bit of magic all the time.”
One could say Harmer’s arrival in Chelmsford has coincided with a purple patch. Except of course there’s nothing coincidental about it. He’s their talisman. His 74 wickets in 2017 drove them to the County Championship title. Last year, they made it two from three; Harmer snared 86 of them.
“He’s a super freak. A legend of a bloke,” exclaims the Eagles' T20 star Cameron Delport. “He’s in his prime at the moment and is just going to get better and better like a really good bottle of red wine.”
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“He’s got a fabulous action,” says Irani, a man instrumental to Harmer’s arrival in county cricket. “The double turn with his right arm helps him with accuracy. It’s his natural variation where he gets the ball over the eyeline. He does people in the air.”
“He gives it a rip and has big strong fingers and a strong wrist,” explains Adrian Birrell, the Hampshire coach who was in the South Africa set-up when Harmer made his Test bow. “He’s very tight. He doesn’t give you a lot of bad balls - he’s constantly testing your defence as a batsman and eventually finds a way through.”
“He’s got massive hands the size of bear claws hence he turns the ball square,” adds Leicestershire skipper Colin Ackermann. “He always wants to get in a battle and I think that’s when he’s at his best. He’s always had a need to get better and keep improving. He turns it square and has a hunger to win. If you add all those factors together you get a world-class off-spinner.”
Standing at well over six foot and with shoulders befitting a rugby union No.8, Harmer cuts an imposing figure.
A giant of a man both physically and metaphorically. A quick glance in his direction might suggest a craft much less subtle than off-spin. “You'll never miss him,“ adds Delport. “He wears a size 14 shoes. Every time he wants a pair he has to order five because they only make about a handful a season at that size.”
Afghanistan assistant coach Rivash Gobind got to know Harmer when with the Warriors in South Africa. “He had a mullet, flaming red hair – he was hard to miss,” he recalls of their first meeting. “You thought Jesus, who is this oak? He was brash, he was in your face. When you played against him you were like “this guy’s an idiot” but once you got to know him you realised that he was this fierce competitor and a really good human being.”
Westley explains: “He’s a big fiery character, so competitive. He’s exactly what Essex needed when we signed him. Me, Tendo, Dan Lawrence and Harmy spend a lot of time together. He’s super competitive at squash even though he’s the worst player. Even if we’re playing Yahtzee he wants to win at all costs. The only person more competitive is Tendo; it’s intriguing when those two alpha males to go up against each other over a game of cards. I like to just stoke the fire!”
That edge, of course, serves him well on the field. According to Gobind: ”If you give him the ball he wants to get a wicket. He wants to get people out. It’s strange for a finger spinner; maybe it’s that flaming red hair that brings that aggression?”
They say to do something properly you need to give it 100 per cent of concentration. But Harmer is the ultimate county cricket multi-tasker.
Simon Harmer is far from the main man of the Essex attack
History is littered with slow bowlers employed to hold up an end. A limited remit; keep it tight and give the quicks a breather. Their role shouldn’t be scoffed at. Many a fine career has been forged that way. This particular South African though has a little extra up his sleeve. Metronomically accurate, Harmer rarely delivers a bad ball. And he just loves to bowl. Wind him, plonk him in the middle and watch him go.
“That attacking mentality for a spinner is so crucial,” explains Yorkshire quick Duanne Olivier, a teammate of Harmer’s at Jozi Stars. “Once he gets going he has a lot of men around the bat – it makes it difficult. His field settings are very good and there’s no release until he bowls a bad ball – that rarely happens.”
“He’s the kind of guy you want in your team,” adds Ackermann. “He ties up an end and attacks at the same time. Once he gets going you can’t take the ball out of his hands – he loves long spells. He’s so accurate, turns it and plays both a holding and an attacking role at the same time. It’s any captain's dream.”
If Harmer doesn’t get his man straight away he’s never flustered, never seen remonstrating with his fielders or drawn into verbals with an opponent.
Andre Nel featured in 36 Tests for South Africa between 2001 and 2008 and is now tasked with overseeing the Essex bowlers. “Part of a spin bowler’s skill is to be smart and work on batters really quickly. That’s what he does. The moment you face him for three or four balls he’s worked you out and knows what he wants to do.”
Harmer is not a one-man show at Essex. Bowlers hunt in packs and in Jamie Porter and Sam Cook he has fine accomplices.
The pace duo separated in age by a few years but have many similar qualities. Both are Academy graduates, pick up wickets by the boatload and harbour international ambitions. In 2017, title-winning campaign Porter outgunned Harmer, a fact that often goes under the radar.
“The biggest strength of our attack as that we don’t just have the wicket-taking ability; we build pressure and take wickets by going for so few runs,” explains Cook. “If the batting side doesn’t feel like they can get anyone away, inevitably they’ll have to force a shot. It’s about partnerships and bowling as a unit has been the biggest strength.”
“For me, the most impressive thing with Simon is he can sit in and bowl 36 consistent overs straight. That helps allow us seamers to rotate.”
“Simon and Ports get the plaudits but it really is about everyone playing their part,“ coach Anthony McGrath said. ”If one person isn’t getting the wickets, control the rate and the other person normally picks up the wickets.”
Door closed on representing England, says Simon Harmer
Nel adds: “You shouldn’t forget the value of our seam bowlers also bowling really well and not going for runs. They back up Harmy by keeping up the pressure and allowing him to attack all the time. They complement each other really well.”
It’s hard to believe now but signing Harmer was something of a gamble. Left out of the South Africa set up, he made the bold move to declare himself available as Kolpak. But despite his recent Test caps, it was no cakewalk for then-agent Phil Weston to secure his man a deal.
According to Irani, there were several clubs interested but no one making a firm offer. But the Essex legend was convinced there was something special about Harmer right from the get-go.
“Phil Weston rang me up and as soon as he calls about a player…well, you know you can trust him,“ explained the ex-allrounder.
“I thought long and hard but we didn’t have an off-spinner on the staff. Tom Westley was bowling a few off-breaks but we didn’t have an out and out top-class spin bowler. Phil was honest with me and said he’d put Harmer’s name to many, many counties. He put him about and no one was interested.
“I said listen, 'I’ve heard the guy’s name but need to study a little bit'. Me and Chris Silverwood looked at his stats and looked at these videos. As soon as I saw him bowl I said to Silvers 'this guy’s world-class. I’m missing something here, why’s this guy not playing international cricket?'”
“I brought it to the committee. One or two people weren’t too keen. Silvers was concerned because it was his job. I remember his words; he said to me 'do you think this is the right decision?' I said 'Silvers don’t worry about it, this one’s on me. I’ll take it on the chin. I have no doubt in my mind.'”
To misquote a famous set of Nuns, how do you solve a problem like Simon Harmer? The question is perhaps the most oft pondered in county cricket. Hours spent devising plans; sleepless nights; whiteboards with brainstorms etched into them. There must be a way. But to date, the answer remains a mystery.
“All different kinds of batters have tried to play him in many different ways,” explains Westley. “I’ve seen people try it all; look to go super attacking; use their feet; sweep or back their defence and grind it out. I can’t really think of anyone who's been successful against him yet.
The spinner captained Essex to the T20 Blast title in 2019
“He’s at the peak of his powers so teams are going to have discussions about how they’ll play him and batsmen are going to formulate plans. To still come out on top is an incredible skill.”
And on the rare occasion the batters do take the upper hand, it doesn’t take long for the off-spinner to turn the tables.
“He’s always experimenting with angles,” explains Gobind. “I think his biggest attribute is his brain. He’s a very smart guy. He takes information from the conditions, from the opposition, from the game situation and tries to read what they batter is going to do. He has the ability to tactically get ahead of the batman’s thinking.”
Much is made of the Chelmsford strip. Even the Titanic would shift direction rapidly, they say.
And they’d be ill-informed. To assume Harmer simply capitalises on excessive fourth-day turn would be simplistic. How can it be true? Essex rarely go the distance.
Early finishes come so frequently, an unexpected period of rest is christened “Harmy day”, according to Nel.
McGrath moves quickly to dispel the vicious rumour. “Of course you always want him playing the fourth innings but I think he’s only bowled then in a dozen or so of the games since he’s come in,“ he stated.
“In 30 plus of those games, he’s been bowling on the first day. You’d expect him to always be bowling on the last day, but actually, he’s bowling a lot when conditions are against him.
“People think Chelmsford is a spinner's paradise but other team's spinners come here and aren’t as effective.”
The stars are paid the big bucks to turn it on when it matters most. Shrinking violets need not apply. But there is no danger of Harmer burying his head in the sand.
Who else but Simon Harmer?
Handed the reins ahead of last year’s T20 campaign, he led them to victory. It was far from straightforward though. The Eagles endured a rocky start to the competition, with Harmer himself going at well above 10s in the opening two games.
But he grabbed his side by the scruff of the neck and oversaw wins against Derbyshire Falcons and then defending champions Worcestershire Rapids on Finals Day to secure the crown.
Man of the match in both fixtures, he returned combined figures of 7-35.
“He’s player for the big occasion,” Delport gleams. “He wants to be the standout – he goes into every game like that. Earlier in the tournament, he was very apologetic about his bowling. He took a bit of stick but that’s the nature of T20 at Chelmsford with the small boundary.
“I knew he’d improve and he showed that; he got better and better towards finals day. For him to take the wickets as he did and then hit the winning runs was a pleasure to watch. The guys will remember it forever – a lot of stories will be told about that weekend.”
Being in the thick of it just comes naturally, according to Birrell. “He’s guy who always wants a piece of the action and be at the forefront of a match. He doesn’t want to be a bystander. He wants the pressure and that’s what stands out. He’s a guy that’s not looking at someone else to bowl the hard overs; he wants to do it himself.”
It’s impossible to neglect the fact that Harmer has played Test cricket, making five outings for the Proteas in 2015. He performed well enough with 20 wickets at a touch below 30. But so far that’s his lot.
Last winter, the man himself mooted an England cap. Changes to the regulations mean that door has slammed shut. Then earlier this summer he revealed that a return to the South Africa fold is in his thoughts.
A recall isn’t an option right now. But the world is changing rapidly. What the future holds who knows? If 2020 has shown anything, it’s that nothing can be ruled out.
“He’s doing at first-class and T20 level,” Irani replied confidently. “He would, given the opportunity to do it at international level. I think he’s the best spin bowler in the world.”
The South Africa is one of the jokers in the pack
“He could easily fit into an international spinner role for SA if he decides to go that way,” according to Ackermann.
Birrell adds: “Often opportunities come at the wrong time for players. I’m sure he’d be a much better international bowler now than he was then with all the success he’s had since. I’m sure he would be more of a success now than then through what he’s been through than the success he’s had in England.”
Professional sport is notoriously intense. There are a few ways to prosper at the top level,
Some find it difficult to switch off. They live and breathe their sport like their hearts will stop without it. Some even drive themselves to cricketing insanity analysing every aspect of their game. But others prefer a more laid back approach, taking time away from the spotlight to refuel mentality.
Harmer is amongst them, with those who know him best referencing his ability to slip in and out of the “the zone” at will. Evidently, it works. “When it’s cricket time he knows exactly what to do,” explains Olivier. “He’s straightforward; you know where you stand. He’s chilled off the field. He knows himself so well – when to switch on and switch off.”
Ackermann calls it similarly. “When it’s cricket time he’s focussed on that but when it’s chill time he likes to be away from the game. We play so much that it’s important to switch off and take a break and he does that well. When you’re playing cricket he’s all there but away from the game he doesn’t like speaking about it too much.”
By all accounts, Harmer is a good oak. Cricket is unique for many reasons, one of being the sheer volume of time players spend together. In a normal year, a side would spend months in each other’s pockets. For that reason, teams rarely succeed on talent alone. There needs to be a sense of unity. A togetherness. An ability to laugh.
“He’s not quiet,” says a grinning Cook. “I don’t think anyone in our dressing room is quiet. In lockdown, he led a few chef masterclasses with a few of the boys on Zoom. A few lads cooking risotto was quite entertaining; Will Buttleman and Ben Allison – their risottos were interesting to see.”
Respectful, talented, a constant desire to improve, a team player, a joy to be around and above all, talented. “I don’t think anyone at Essex if they’re being completely honest truly expected the results he has achieved,” Westley signs off. ”He was a diamond in the rough that Essex found. He’s been absolutely outstanding.”
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