Having broken through at the end of the preceding summer, Harvey played his first full season for Victoria in 1953–54, despite the availability of the Test players for the whole campaign. He scored two centuries and five half centuries against full strength teams from other states and was rewarded with selection in Lindsay Hassett's testimonial match, which was effectively a Test trial match. Harvey ended the season with 699 runs at a batting average of 49.92. At the start of the following season, Harvey was included in an Australian XI for a match against the touring England cricket team for a Test trial match. However, rain curtailed the match and turned the playing surface into a sticky wicket hostile to batting. Harvey made only seven in his only innings. He played in all of Victoria's matches for the season, despite a form slump—he scored only 206 runs at 18.72. He was then overlooked for state selection until 1958–59, when he regained his position late in the season and made 97 and 86 in consecutive innings. However, the following season, he made only sporadic appearances despite the absence of the Test players overseas and aggregated only 133 runs at 16.62 in four matches and he was never selected for Victoria again. He shone mainly for Fitzroy in Victorian Premier Cricket, scoring 19 centuries and 9,146 runs in first-grade competition, both of which are still club records.