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 st ...

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 and Michael Tissera. Bob Harvie was Ceylon's ' John Arlott' 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 unt ...

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 cricket match, the 'Battle of the Blues', the oldest unbroken Ceylonese cricket match between S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia and Royal College Colombo. The good luck elephant

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.

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 Lanka
In fond and loving memory of the late Bob Harvie – Sunday Times, Sri Lanka

Obituary 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

The Royal-Thomian Encounter

The Art of Commentary

See also

References

External links