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- Age
- 29y 337d
- Bats
- Right-hand
- From
- Wantirna
Sam Harper grew up with a family connection to the first-class game: his uncle, Laurence Harper, played at that level and was named Victorian Player of the Year for 1997-98. Sam's own path followed the familiar Australian pathway system. He spent time at the Australian Center of Excellence in Melbourne, earned selection in the Under-19 squad for the 2014 World Cup, and led Victoria as a young captain.
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His batting drew attention during this period, notably a rapid hundred against Papua New Guinea at a high-performance camp held in Brisbane. In April 2015 the Victorian Bushrangers offered him a rookie contract, and his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria came in February 2016. With the bat he managed 21 in the first innings, a modest return, but his glovework stood out: he was involved in 9 dismissals as wicketkeeper, which the source describes as the highest tally by any keeper on Shield debut.
Harper also endured a frightening moment when Jake Lehmann's bat accidentally struck his helmet, leaving him with a severe concussion. He bounced back within 3 weeks and returned to competitive play.
In T20 cricket, the Melbourne Stars picked him for the sixth Big Bash League season in 2016, where he made his debut in the format. His runs were limited that summer, yet he earned credit for his keeping while regular gloveman Peter Handscomb was unavailable. After one season with the Stars he switched to the Renegades for 2017/18, and he was later traded back to the Stars for 2023/24.
Away from cricket, Harper is a keen golfer, and he has been studying teaching at university.
Recent form
- Runs
- 77
- Inns
- 3
- Avg
- 25.67
- SR
- 67.0
- HS
- 63
- 4s / 6s
- 10 / 1
50 or morePlayer of the match* not out
