Can a player debut 15 years after his death? Perhaps you feel this joke, but this is a reality. England cricketer Harry Lee did so. This name recorded in history books became immortal despite playing only one Test match in his career, because Harry Lee made his debut in international cricket after 15 years of his death.
Born in 1890, dream was playing on Lord’s ground
Harry Lee was born in 1890 to a vegetable and coal businessman. He was raised in the streets of Merilbone, but he had only one dream in his heart, it was to play on the ground of Lord’s Mecca. At the age of 15, he wrote a letter to MCC (Marilebone Cricket Club) and asked for a ground staff job. Here he started with the work ranging from cleaning the stands to the pitch roll. After this, he gradually made a place in Middlesex’s Under-19 team and by 1914 he had become a regular player of the county team.
Then came war and ‘death’
His dream of playing in Lords was spreading his wings that the first world war broke out in 1914. Britain requested all the youth to participate in the war. Harry joined the 13th Battalion (Kensington) of the British Army and sent to France in 1915. On May 9, he was shot in the thigh in the Battle of Ober Ridge and he remained in No Mans Land for three days, until the German army picked him up to the hospital.
After this, no clue of his existence was found in Britain and he was declared dead. Their & lsquo; death & rsquo; The news of this reached his home and his name was included in those who died in the official record.
but did not die Harry
Harry was in captivity for a long time in Germany. At the same time, Harry was advised by a British prisoner to exaggerate his injury so that he can get a chance to return to the country. This trick of that prisoner worked and Harry was sent back to England in October 1915, but the truth was that one of his legs was permanently shortened due to injury. Doctors advised him to quit cricket, but Harry Lee refused to give up.
Hoshan’s victory, return to cricket
Even after all this, Harry did not give up and made more intention to play cricket. Middlesex gave him a chance to return to training again. Harry returned to first class cricket in 1919 and performed brilliantly. He became a player to score 1,000+ runs in a season 13 times and continued to shine in county cricket.
and then & hellip; After 15 years, ‘Dream Debut’
Time passed, but Harry’s story was still incomplete. In 1930, the England team went on a tour of South Africa and the team struggling with injuries needed a trusted batsman. At that time the team expressed confidence in Harry and & nbsp; 40 -year -old Harry Lee got a chance to play in a test, which happened 15 years after his ‘death’.
In the fourth Test in February 1931, he made his debut for England. He scored 18 runs in his first innings and 11 runs in the second. These figures on the scoreboard can look modest, but for a player who once read the news of his death in newspapers, it was no less than a rebirth.
cricketer, then umpire, then coach
After retiring in 1934, Harry Lee became an umpire and then joined the coaching. He gave coaching in Downside School and said goodbye to the world at the age of 90.
(Tagstotranslate) England (T) England Cricketer (T) Harry Lee
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