Twins just the wicket to give Harris hat-trick

DON SCOTT/The Press

HAPPY FAMILY: Chris and Linda Harris and daughter Sophie, 8, are delighted to welcome home twins Louie and Phoebe. The babies spent their first five weeks in hospital after being born prematurely on October 16.

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Cricket and babies have had a habit of crossing paths for Canterbury cricket legend and former Black Cap Chris Harris.

Harris, wife Linda, and their eight-year-old daughter Sophie, welcomed twins Phoebe and Louie home on Wednesday after they were born prematurely on October 16.

Harris was playing cricket in England when he received a call on the pitch from his wife, who was going into labour with their twins nearly four months early.

"Linda was rushed to hospital and I was told, `you need to get home'.

"I wanted to get on the first plane out of there."

While waiting for further calls, Harris gave his phone to the umpire and finished the match, he said.

"I just said to him, `if it rings, my wife is about to have twins so can you let me know'."

It was deja vu for Harris, who was playing cricket in Sri Lanka when Sophie was born.

Harris's wife, meanwhile, was rushed to Christchurch Women's Hospital, where they managed to stop the labour.

"I hadn't been feeling very well, and I was having tightenings five minutes apart.

"I had a friend who encouraged me to contact my specialist.

"If it wasn't for her ..." Linda Harris said.

"I burst into tears. I was vomiting.

"Chris was in England. Last time he was in Sri Lanka."

Incredibly, Harris spent seven weeks on bed rest in hospital, stopping another onset of labour at 30 weeks, then delivering the twins – with her husband by her side – at 32 weeks.

Phoebe and Louie were born weighing in at a tiny 1760 grams and 1860g, respectively, but after spending five weeks in the neo-natal ward "feeding and growing" they have plumped to a healthier 2300g and 2670g.

The twins have no apparent side-effects from being born early, Linda Harris said.

"We are very lucky ours are so healthy. Phoebe shot out first by one minute. She was the bolshy one in the uterus the whole time. Louie is Mr Cool and chilled out. He tells a story with his eyes and she tells a story with her voice," she said.

The twins were a successful "last-ditch attempt" to have more children, Chris Harris said.

"We had IVF [in-vitro fertilisation] and it was one of many attempts. Because it had not taken the last time, they suggested putting two [fertilised eggs] back in this time. We are just really happy they were healthy. We thought having twins was pretty cool."