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Harmison up for it

Harmison up for it

30/10/2008 4:39 AM

Steve Harmison would relish the challenge of holding his nerve at the death in Saturday's multi-million-pound showdown.

Durham fast bowler Harmison sent down the final over of England's final warm-up last night, which it won by just one run against Trinidad & Tobago.

Operating at the end of innings is something foreign to Harmison, 30, but he came out on the winning side of the equation after Trinidad managed just eight from the last six balls.

Last night's victory - marred somewhat by a sickness bug dictating team selection - was arguably the perfect dress rehearsal for the winner-takes-all, US$1million-a-man match against Stanford Superstars on Saturday.

"I have played cricket for 10-12 years and there have not been many times in one-day cricket that I have bowled the last over," said Harmison. "Maybe 10 times. So that was good to do.

"It's not normally my job but if it comes down to it, in Twenty20 have to be flexible to carry out whatever is put in front of you.

"If it was the same situation, I would gladly do it, and exactly the way I did last night with the opposition one run short."

With so much money at stake, nerves might be jangling in the weekend's floodlit encounter.

But Harmison is confident external factors will not come into it when he pulls on the England shirt.

He continued: "It is a game of cricket, so when you cross that white line you play for each other, you're in it together and you want to win the game.

"The rewards are after you have won or lost but what you are playing for is not really in the equation.

"Would I be able to bowl the same over as the other night? I would like to think I could because you are trying to win.

"I am human so it would enter a small part of the mind but once you are about to bowl you are focused on one thing - where you want to put it."

Captain Kevin Pietersen said after last night's win that he was looking forward to getting this week over, given the focus on the money aspect of the contest.

The crude truth of the matter is, however, that whichever way the match is portrayed it is one which will change cricket forever.

He explained: "Nobody has really discussed the money because we haven't got it. The money is not in our hands.

"Of course, it is an incentive, it's a life-changing sum.

"We are here for the money because the simple fact of the matter is we are playing for US$20million.

"We are not here for the Ashes, we are not here for the World Cup, the prize on Saturday is nothing if you lose but if you win - US$1million.

"You win a tournament on the PGA golf tour and the prize money is a big purse.

"It is good for the game - both boards are benefiting and the players who win are benefiting - in the long term.

"At this minute, the way the market is in England it is a good thing for the game but just at the wrong time because if what is happening in the world.

"Hopefully the money in two or three years' time will have filtered through to the right sources - stadiums will be better, youth cricket will be better, everything will be better."

But the financial aspect has concerned Harmison from the start - he initially intended to come out of one-day retirement on November 2, so no-one could accuse him of chasing dollars, but was talked around by the management to make himself available from August onwards.

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

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