New Zealand cricket in the 1990s found an unlikely folk hero in a player who rarely troubled the scorers with fireworks. A left-handed batter who built innings through placement and calm accumulation rather than power, and a right-arm medium bowler whose gentle wobblers proved surprisingly difficult to get away, Chris Harris became one of the most valuable and beloved cricketers New Zealand has ever produced.
Born in Christchurch, Harris was the son of Zinzan Harris, who had played nine Tests for New Zealand in the 1950s and 60s. He made his ODI debut against Australia in 1990 and his Test debut two years later against Sri Lanka, but it was in the shorter format that his career truly flourished. Harris built a reputation as an ideal finisher, someone who could rebuild an innings or accelerate it depending on the situation, backed by economical bowling that relied on subtle changes of pace rather than raw speed.
Harris was central to one of New Zealand's biggest limited-overs triumphs, sharing a match-defining stand with Chris Cairns to help New Zealand beat India in the final of the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy. He finished as one of only a handful of players in ODI history to complete the double of 4,000 runs and 200 wickets, and one of the few New Zealanders to feature in 250 ODIs. Chris continued playing domestic cricket for Canterbury well into his late 30s, with brief stints for Gloucestershire and Derbyshire in English county cricket along the way, before eventually retiring from the game.
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