Robert James Anthony Harvie "Bob" Harvie was a popular announcer of
Radio Ceylon
Radio Ceylon ( si, ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සේවය ''Lanka Guwan Viduli Sevaya'', ta, இலங்கை வானொலி, ''ilankai vanoli'') is a radio station based in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and the first ...
. Harvie's voice was inextricably linked to cricket commentaries from the island of
Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. He has led the English cricket commentary team from Radio Ceylon and subsequently the
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සංස්ථාව, ''Shrī Lankā Guvan Viduli Sansthāva'', ta, இலங்கை ஒலிபரப்புக் க ...
. Harvie has been a significant figure where
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
commentaries from Sri Lanka are concerned and he has been on the radio on Ceylon test matches against visiting England teams.
Bob Harvie has made his commentaries when the Ceylon team was captained by
Anura Tennekoon
Anura Tennekoon (born 29 October 1946) is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He was educated at the S. Thomas' College in Mount Lavinia.
After captaining the school team and being selected as best ...
and
Michael Tissera
Michael Hugh Tissera (born 23 March 1939 in Colombo) is a former Sri Lankan ODI cricketer who played in the 1975 Cricket World Cup.
School
Tissera was educated at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, where, initially appearing in 1954 aged fourte ...
. Bob Harvie was Ceylon's '
John Arlott
Leslie Thomas John Arlott, OBE (25 February 1914 – 14 December 1991) was an English journalist, author and cricket commentator for the BBC's ''Test Match Special''. He was also a poet and wine connoisseur. With his poetic phraseology, he bec ...
' and enjoyed huge popularity as a cricket commentator, giving his ball by ball commentaries over Radio Ceylon, alongside other great Ceylonese commentators such as
Norton Pereira. He gained a war service commission as a
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
in the
Ceylon Light Infantry
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, he retired as a
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in the
Ceylon Volunteer Force
The Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF) is the active-duty volunteer reserve force of the Sri Lanka Army. The SLAVF is separate from the Regular Force (known as the ''regular army'') which consists of personal who are professional soldiers an ...
.
The Royal-Thomian Encounter
Bob Harvie has also been on the Radio Ceylon, CBC commentary team covering the annual
Royal–Thomian
The Royal–Thomian (The Battle of the Blues) is an annual cricket match in Sri Lanka played between Royal College, Colombo and S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia since 1879. It is known as ''The Battle of the Blues'' due to the colours of the two ...
cricket match, the 'Battle of the Blues', the oldest unbroken Ceylonese cricket match between
S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia
, motto_translation = Be Thou Forever
, song = Thomian Song
, athletics = Yes
, sports = Yes
, nickname = Thora
, denomination = Anglican
, patron ...
and
Royal College Colombo
Royal College, Colombo is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by Rev Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in Janua ...
.
He was also known for covering the Kandy Perahara, Army Tattoo, Remembrance Day Parade as well as being in charge of Rugby and Boxing Commentaries over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon/Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
The Art of Commentary
Sriyani de Silva, in an obituary published in the Sunday Times in Colombo observed: 'Bob Harvie was the toast of the sports world, when it came to the art of commentary! Apart from his impeccable diction and use of the appropriate and accurate facts, names and terminology – which he was an absolute stickler for – Bob was able to bring any event vividly alive to listeners island wide, and even in the sub-continent if I remember right, in those days when TV did not exist. His almost magical word-wizardry would encapsulate in his own inimitable style, all the excitement of a crucial rugby encounter, magnificent Independence parade, nail-biting motor sports event, beauty pageant or black tie dinner-dance. I think I can safely say, the likes of him has never been matched.'
Harvie lived in Sri Lanka until his death on 7 July 2010.
See also
*
Radio Ceylon
Radio Ceylon ( si, ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සේවය ''Lanka Guwan Viduli Sevaya'', ta, இலங்கை வானொலி, ''ilankai vanoli'') is a radio station based in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and the first ...
*
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සංස්ථාව, ''Shrī Lankā Guvan Viduli Sansthāva'', ta, இலங்கை ஒலிபரப்புக் க ...
*
List of Sri Lankan broadcasters
This list of Sri Lankan broadcasters includes notable broadcasters from the country of Sri Lanka.
A
*Chitrananda Abeysekera
*Karunaratne Abeysekera
B
* K. S. Balachandran
* Leon Belleth
*Nihal Bhareti
* Jimmy Bharucha
C
*Vernon Corea
*Vij ...
*
Esala Perahera
The Kandy Esala Perahera (the Sri Dalada Perahara procession of Kandy) also known as The Festival of the Tooth is a festival held in July and August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This historical procession is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred To ...
References
External links
Sri Lanka Cricket Official Website Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20121104160308/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-2076831121.html Bob Harvie no More, Daily Mirror – Sri LankaIn fond and loving memory of the late Bob Harvie – Sunday Times, Sri LankaObituary on Bob Harvie – Daily News, Sri Lanka
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harvie, Bob
Sri Lankan radio personalities
Sri Lankan cricket commentators
Year of birth missing
2010 deaths
Rugby union commentators
Rugby union in Sri Lanka
Ceylon Light Infantry officers
Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force officers