Sam Harper

Nephew of first-class cricketer Laurence Harper (Victorian Player of the Year 1997-98), Sam had a lot to live up to, and took the conventional route through the Australian ranks. He attended the Australian Center of Excellence in Melbourne and being scouted into the U-19 side for the 2014 World Cup, and was an impressive young captain as well for Victoria.

After impressive showings with the bat, including an explosive century against Papua New Guinea in a high-performance camp in Brisbane. He was handed a rookie contract in April 2015 by the Victorian Bushrangers, followed by Shield debut by Victoria in February 2016 where had a moderate outing with the bat, making 21 in the first innings. Nonetheless, he affected 9 dismissals behind the stumps, the most on debut by any wicketkeeper in Sheffield Shield history.

He made headlines when he was unintentionally hit on the helmet with the bat by Jake Lehmann and suffered a heavy concussion. However, he showed character and made a speedy recovery within 3 weeks, and a subsequent return to competitive cricket.

Harper made his T20 debut after he was scouted by the Melbourne Stars for the 6th edition of the Big Bash League in 2016. He threw away his opportunities with the bat, but impressed with his wicket-keeping skills that season, in the absence of regular keeper Peter Handscomb. After a season with the Stars, Harper moved across to the Renegades in 2017/18 before being traded back to the Stars in 2023/24.

Interesting Facts

Harper is an enthusiastic golfer (a glimpse of which can be seen in his enormous bat swing)

He also studies - wait for it - teaching at university.

By Rishi Roy