Leonard Montague Harris (21 December 1855 – 27 April 1947) was an Australian-born cricketer. He played first-class cricket in New Zealand for Otago and Wellington between the 1881–82 and 1893–94 seasons. Later he lived in South Africa.
Harris was born at Swansea in what was then still Van Diemen's Land in 1855.McCarron, Tony (2010). New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010, p. 63. Cardiff: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 5 June 2023.) After moving to New Zealand he played club cricket for Dunedin Cricket Club.Dunedin Cricket Club, Otago Daily Times, issue 6388, 3 August 1882, p. 3. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.) Considered a "fine left-handed batsman",Sixty years of cricket, Otago Daily Times, issue 23114, 13 February 1937, p. 22. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.) he played a total of 11 first-class matches, nine for Otago between 1881–82 and 1887–88 and then two for Wellington, one in each of the 1891–92 and 1893–94 seasons. He scored 348 first-class runs, playing several innings for Otago which were later described as "excellent",Cricket retrospect, Evening Star, issue 22578, 20 February 1937, p. 13. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.) and took a single wicket.Leonard Harris, CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
Harris was the first batsman in New Zealand first-class cricket to carry his bat: for Otago against the touring Tasmanian team in February 1884 he batted throughout the first innings to finish 41 not out in an innings total of 65.Francis Payne & Ian Smith, eds, 2021 New Zealand Cricket Almanack, Upstart Press, Takapuna, 2021, p. 346. The next-highest individual score in the match was 11, and Otago won by eight wickets.
Professionally Harris was a flax merchant,Special telegrams, Evening Star, issue 10647, 11 June 1898, p. 3 (Supplement). (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.) working for Guthrie and Larnach in DunedinPersonal, Otago Daily Times, issue 24238, 4 March 1940, p. 8. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.) before becoming the manager of the Wellington branch of AS Patterson.The Evening Star, Evening Star, issue 11003, 5 August 1899, p. 2. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.) He was prosecuted under the bankruptcy act in 1900 but the case was dismissed.Charges against LM Harris, The Evening Post, volume LX, issue 110, 6 November 1900, p. 5. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.)The charge against LM Harris, New Zealand Herald, volume XXXVII, issue 11527, 12 November 1900, p. 5. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.) He established his own firm in Wellington in January the following year,Local and general, The Evening Post, volume LXI, issue 18, 22 January 1901, p. 4. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.) but by November had moved to Durban in South Africa where he planned to import butter from New Zealand.Commercial, Evening Star, issue 11647, 6 September 1901, p. 6. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.) He travelled to England in 1930, visiting Lord's to watch a Test matchA tour of England, Otago Daily Times, issue 21153, 10 October 1930, p. 6. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 21 December 2023.) and by 1940 owned a set of buildings in Durban.
Harris married Anna Russell at her home in the Dunedin suburb of Ravensbourne in March 1892. He died at Durban in 1947, aged 91.
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