Harry Nielsen (cricketer)

{{short description|Australian cricketer}} {{use Australian English|date=September 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Harry Nielsen | fullname = Harry James Nielsen | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|05|03|df=yes}} | birth_place = Ashford, Adelaide, South Australia<ref>{{cite web |title=Harry Nielsen|url= https://www.cricket.com.au/players/harry-nielsen/s1yfYpQsqUCiISQ9iS0f3A|website=cricket.au.com |access-date= 21 July 2021}}</ref> | batting = Left-handed | bowling = | role = Wicket-keeper | family = Tim Nielsen (father)

| club1 = South Australia | year1 = {{nowrap|2017/18–present}} | clubnumber1 = 4 | club2 = Adelaide Strikers | year2 = {{nowrap|2017/18–present}} | clubnumber2 = 4

| columns = 3 | hidedeliveries = true

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/713195.html Cricinfo | date = 23 March | year = 2026 |image=}}

'''Harry James Nielsen''' (born 3 May 1995) is an Australian cricketer, the son of former South Australian cricketer Tim Nielsen.<ref name="Bio">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/713195.html|title=Harry Nielsen {{!}} Cricket Players and Officials|access-date=27 September 2017 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> During the 2017–18 season, he made his debut in all three major forms of the game, first-class, one-day and Twenty20 cricket playing for Cricket Australia XI in the JLT One-Day Cup and tour matches, the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League and South Australia in the Sheffield Shield.

==Domestic career== ===Early career=== Nielsen started his career playing grade cricket for Woodville Cricket Club in Adelaide.<ref name=profile>{{cite web|url=https://www.cricket.com.au/players/harry-nielsen/s1yfYpQsqUCiISQ9iS0f3A|title=Harry Nielsen|access-date=29 November 2017|website=cricket.com.au}}</ref> He played his first against a higher quality opposition when he played for a Cricket Australia XI against the touring India national cricket team. Despite his team's poor performance, he scored 43 runs off 40 balls and was part of a 52-run partnership for the final wicket.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2014-15/content/story/802793.html|title=Indian seamers make early impact {{!}} Cricket|date=24 November 2014|access-date=29 November 2017|website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> His next major appearance was in another tour match, this time when South Africa were touring Australia, but instead of playing against the South Africans he played with them. When South Africa's wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock was unable to field and their reserve keeper had not yet arrived in the country, Nielsen had to leave partway through a grade cricket match for Woodville to stand in as their wicket-keeper. This gave him the opportunity to keep to a world-class bowling attack.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cricket.com.au/news/harry-nielsen-tim-wicketkeepers-cricket-australia-xi-south-africa-match-four-catches-substitute/2016-10-23|title=How Harry became SA's accidental hero|last=Ramsey|first=Andrew|date=23 October 2016|access-date=29 November 2017|website=cricket.com.au}}</ref>

Nielsen started to play for South Australia in the Futures League. When he was the state's leading run-scorer in the competition for the 2016–17 season,<ref name=profile/> he was upgraded to a senior contract with South Australia for the 2017–18 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/20409491/south-australia-name-contract-list|title=South Australia name contract list - ESPNcricinfo|date=22 August 2017|access-date=29 November 2017|website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>

===2017–18 season=== Nielsen was in the Cricket Australia XI squad for the 2017–18 JLT One-Day Cup and played for them in all six matches, one of their standout players in the tournament.<ref name=novice>{{cite web|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/cricket/big-bash/novice-harry-nielsen-looms-as-adelaide-strikers-semifinal-wildcard-behind-the-stumps/news-story/f5a73e82935cd97779425704dd5167d8|title=Big Bash League: Harry Nielsen in Adelaide Strikers squad {{!}} Adelaide Now|last=Capel|first=Andrew|date=30 January 2018|access-date=20 April 2018|work=The Advertiser|publisher=News Corp Australia}}</ref> He made his List A debut for Cricket Australia XI in the first match of the tournament against South Australia. He took three catches as Cricket Australia XI's wicket-keeper in what was just the team's second win in their history.<ref name="LA">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1118569.html |title=1st match, JLT One-Day Cup at Brisbane, Sep 27 2017 {{!}} Match Summary|access-date=27 September 2017 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> He made his first mark with the bat against Victoria, when he came to the crease with Cricket Australia XI at 4/36. They lost two more wickets quickly to fall to 6/45, but Nielsen fought hard and scored 94 runs, falling just short of a century, taking them to 9/216. They lost the match by 7 wickets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8626/report/1118581/Cricket-Australia-XI-vs-Victoria-13th-match-jlt-one-day-cup/|title=13th match, JLT One-Day Cup at Sydney, Oct 10 2017 {{!}} Match Report|access-date=24 October 2017|website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> He finished the tournament with the highest batting average among the team, scoring 147 runs at an average of 49.00. As their keeper he also had nine dismissals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=12012;team=5437;type=tournament|title=Cricket Records {{!}} Records {{!}} JLT One-Day Cup, 2017/18 - Cricket Australia XI {{!}} {{!}} Batting and bowling averages|access-date=24 October 2017|website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> In November 2017 he also made his first-class debut for Cricket Australia XI in a tour match against England.<ref name=novice/>

During the 2017–18 Big Bash League season, Nielsen was added to the Adelaide Strikers squad for their semi-final match in order to replace their regular wicket-keeper Alex Carey, who was busy playing for Australia's national team at the time.<ref name=novice/> He was taken out of the team for the BBL final when Carey was surprisingly released from his national duty.<ref name=shield>{{cite web|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/cricket/harry-nielsen-to-make-sheffield-shield-debut-for-south-australia/news-story/5fa7061e46e2f87d48de814083c89d48|title=Sheffield Shield: Harry Nielsen to debut for Redbacks after BBL semi-final appearance {{!}} Adelaide Now|last=Capel|first=Andrew|date=6 February 2018|access-date=20 April 2018|work=The Advertiser|publisher=News Corp Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/10883/game/1124864/Cricket-Australia-XI-vs-England-Tour-Match-eng-tour-of-aus-and-nz-2017-18|title=Tour Match, England tour of Australia and New Zealand at Townsville, Nov 15-18 2017 {{!}} Match Summary|work=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=15 November 2017}}</ref>

Nielsen made his Sheffield Shield debut for South Australia a week later when Carey was again called up for national duties.<ref name=shield/> His father Tim Nielsen, who had also kept wickets for South Australia, presented him with his cap.<ref name=guns>{{cite web|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/cricket/sa-redbacks-crash-back-to-reality-in-sheffield-shield-clash-against-victoria-bushrangers/news-story/357d8ffd957d50c9be58e87820da3425|title=Sheffield Shield: SA Redbacks back to reality against Bushrangers {{!}} Adelaide Now|last=Earle|first=Richard|date=8 February 2018|access-date=20 April 2018|work=The Advertiser|publisher=News Corp Australia}}</ref> He scored a century in the first innings of the match, becoming the ninth South Australian to do so on Sheffield Shield debut,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/cricket/harry-nielsen-scores-a-ton-on-south-australia-sheffield-shield-debut/news-story/dff118accb88f70aa249ff63762adeab|title=Harry Nielsen scores ton on South Australia Sheffield Shield debut {{!}} Adelaide Now|last=Earle|first=Richard|date=8 February 2018|access-date=20 April 2018|work=The Advertiser|publisher=News Corp Australia}}</ref> with his 105 bringing South Australia back into the game after they had slipped to 5/126.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8043/report/1118880/day/1/|title=Nielsen's debut ton resurrects South Australia|date=8 February 2018|access-date=20 April 2018|work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> On 2 December 2018, he scored a century against India in a tour match for Cricket Australia XI.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ferris |first1=Sam |title=Young keeper hopes India are worn out {{!}} cricket.com.au |url=https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3290679/young-keeper-hopes-india-are-worn-out |website=www.cricket.com.au |access-date=13 March 2024 |language=en |date=2 December 2018}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{cricinfo|id=713195}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nielsen, Harry}} Category:1995 births Category:Living people Category:Australian cricketers Category:Adelaide Strikers cricketers Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Cricket Australia XI cricketers Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen