Harry Lee (cricketer)

Harry Lee

Personal information
Full name	Henry William Lee
Born	(1890-10-26)26 October 1890 London, England
Died	21 April 1981(1981-04-21) (aged 90) London, England
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Right-arm off break, slow-medium
Role	All-rounder
Relations	Frank Lee, Jack Lee (brothers)
International information
National side	England
Only Test (cap 258)	13 February 1931 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1911–1934	Middlesex
1909–1934	Marylebone Cricket Club
Umpiring information
FC umpired	153 (1935–1946)
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 1 437 Runs scored 19 20,158 Batting average 9.50 29.95 100s/50s 0/0 38/81 Top score 18 243* Balls bowled – 26,660 Wickets – 401 Bowling average – 30.61 5 wickets in innings – 12 10 wickets in match – 3 Best bowling –/– 8/39 Catches/stumpings 0/– 180/–
Source: CricketArchive, 18 August 2011

Henry William Lee
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1914–15
Rank	Private
Unit	London Regiment
Battles/wars	First World War Battle of Neuve Chapelle Battle of Aubers Ridge
Awards	Silver War Badge 1914–15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Henry William "Harry" Lee (26 October 1890 – 21 April 1981) was a professional English cricketer who played first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and Middlesex County Cricket Club between 1911 and 1934. He made one Test appearance for England, in 1931. An all-rounder, Lee was a right-handed batsman and bowled both off break and slow-medium pace bowling with his right arm. He scored 1,000 runs in a season on thirteen occasions. Part of the County Championship winning sides in 1920 and 1921, Lee aggregated 20,158 runs and took 401 wickets in first-class cricket.

The son of a greengrocer, Lee worked hard to earn himself a place in the Middlesex side in the years before the First World War, eventually getting his chance in 1914 when other players had joined the early war effort. Lee enlisted in the army in September 1914 and served until December 1915; although shot in the leg, declared dead and taken prisoner of war, he survived and returned to play for Middlesex in 1919. He secured his place in the team with three strong all-round seasons, and was twice part of a top four when each batsman scored a century in the same innings—he shares this achievement with Jack Hearne. Less prolific through the mid-1920s, he scored runs heavily once again towards the end of the decade. He made his only Test appearance in 1931, drafted into the England team after injuries and illness depleted the squad. He continued playing county cricket until 1934, when he was released by Middlesex aged 44, to allow the county to develop younger players. He umpired first-class cricket from his retirement until the Second World War, standing in 153 matches.

Lee's career was overshadowed by more attractive, faster-scoring batsmen in the team, such as Hearne and Patsy Hendren. His two younger brothers also played first-class cricket; both Jack and Frank moved to Somerset after failing to break into the Middlesex team. All three brothers scored centuries during the 1931 season, the first instance of three professional brothers doing so in first-class cricket. Two years later, all three were involved in a single dismissal: Harry was caught by Frank off the bowling of Jack in a county match. At the time of his death in 1981, Lee was the second-oldest living Test cricketer.