Hampshire Cricket Pays Tribute to Leo Harrison 

Hampshire Cricket would like to express their great sadness at the passing of former Hampshire wicketkeeper-batsman Leo Harrison, aged 94.

Leo first joined the club as a schoolboy in 1938 as part of the Hampshire ground staff, making his first-class debut the following season. The right-hander was seen to have excellent potential and was given an opportunity to feature in Hampshire First XI’s final fixtures before joining the RAF following the outbreak of the Second World War.

After returning to the club following the war, Leo soon earnt a regular place in the Hampshire side as a contributor with the bat, scoring 567 runs in his first full season back in 1947’s County Championship competition. His maiden first-class century followed in 1951, the milestone complementing an outstanding showing once again with the bat, contributing 1,189 runs that season.

Leo was also a prominent piece in Hampshire’s maiden County Championship winning puzzle, playing as wicket-keeper alongside Roy Marshall, Derek Shackleton, captain Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie and others.

Having spent 27 years playing the first-class game, Leo sported the Hampshire badge in the County Championship for the final time in 1966 and in doing so, he became the last professional cricketer to appear in a first-class fixture having also played prior to the Second World War.