15 years after death Harry Lee’s debut (S & G/Pa Images Via Getty Images)
A 5 Test match series is being played between India and England. This series is being played on the land of England. But, here we will not talk about this series or players playing in it. Rather, we will talk about the England player who made his debut after 15 years of his death. Yes, this shocking story is Harry Lee’s player playing cricket for England. This player may have played only 1 match in his career, but that only match was recorded in the pages of history. That is also not because he performed something good in it. But because he played 15 years after his death was his debut match.
Born in 1890… Story is exciting
Obviously, now you will find this story interesting and exciting. Should also be engaged. After all, how can a player debut after 15 years of his death. So to understand this, first you have to know Harry Lee’s background. Harry Lee was born in 1890 to a vegetable and coal businessman’s house. He was raised in Merilbone.
Story of Harry Lee and Lords
Cricket aspired in Harry Lee since childhood. He wanted to see himself playing at Lord’s called the Mecca of Cricket one day. At the age of 15, Harry wrote a letter to MCC (Marylabone Cricket Club) and requested him for a job in Lord’s ground staff. The Khat of Harry Lee showed him the way inside. He started his work by cleaning the stadium stands and rolling the pitch. From the small work of the ground to making a place in the Under-19 team of Midlsex, Harry gradually extended one step. As a result, by 1914, his name was recorded in the players playing regular for Middlesex. Meaning, the dream of childhood had started getting some wings.
War broke out in 1914, luck took a turn
But, often where it happens, as we want. In Harry Lee’s life, as soon as everything was fine, the war knocked in the world. Ranbheri of the first World War was rang in Europe. When war broke out in 1914, Britain urged its young students, laborers and players to join the fight. In such a situation, Harry Lee did not lag behind and this is from here that there was a new twist in his life.
In September 1914, he joined the 13th Battalion (Kensington). In early March 1915, Lee was sent to France. On May 9, 1915, on the first day of the Battle of Ober Ridge, Harry Lee was shot in the thigh, which broke her thigh bone. He was lying in “No Mans Land” for three days, until the German soldiers found him and admitted him to a hospital in Valentian. Six weeks later, he was sent to Hanover.
News of Harry Lee’s death spread in May 1915
Now Harry Lee was lying in the hospital there. But no one at his house knew whether he was alive or not. This is because his body was not found. Due to lack of body, his name was included in the list of dead. On that day Britain lost 499 soldiers, in which Harry Lee was also counted.
But Harry Lee was not dead. Another British prisoner in the hospital advised Harry to exaggerate with the seriousness of his injury, so that he might be sent home. Harry did the same and that method worked.
In October 1915, Harry Lee was finally sent back to England. But the news he got during this time was not as expected. His leg was permanently damaged. One leg was left smaller than the other. Doctors said that it will be difficult to walk, playing cricket is far away. But, where was Harry Lee, who was loud intentions, was going to give up?
Did not lose courage, returned to first class cricket in 1919
Eventually, he defeated the bottleneck in front of him. He stepped back into the cricket world. In this, the Middlesex Cricket Club supported him. Help them in recovering and gave them a chance to train again. In 1919, Harry returned to first class cricket, scored fiercely and became an important player of Middlesex team.
A chance to debut like this 15 years after the news of death
This was not easy because he was not a player like before. Could not move quickly as before. But year after year, he kept playing. And, this way 15 years passed. Finally, something happened in 1930 that no one had imagined. He was on a tour of South Africa in England. That series of South Africa was quite difficult. The team was struggling with injuries. In such a situation, he needed a player who is reliable, experienced and which has the ability to remain calm under patience and pressure. In such a situation, the selectors decided to feed Harry Lee and surprised everyone.
40 -year -old Harry Lee was continuously performing well in the county circuit. By then, he had shown the feat of scoring more than 1,000 runs in a season 13 times.
15 years after the news of his death spread in 1915, in February 1931, he was selected for a Test debut in the England team. It was not just a selection, but the second life was received by Harry Lee. In the fourth Test of the series, Harry started England’s innings. He scored 18 runs in the first innings and added just 11 runs in the second. If you look at the paper, these figures do not draw anyone’s attention, but for them, it meant everything. This was his first and last Test match.
Sannyas in 1934, died in 90 years
After retiring in 1934, Harry Lee worked as an umpire in first class cricket and later coached at Downside School. He remained alive till the age of 90.
