Having prepared hundreds of wickets in county cricket – and a couple for the 2019 World Cup – Lee joined Hampshire for what turned out to be a season he would never forget.
As Covid ruled out the County Championship, and domestic cricket of any form until August 1, Lee – the new head groundsman down in Southampton – thought he may enjoy a rare summer off.
Not so. Instead, he found himself working his fingers to the bone as the Ageas Bowl and Old Trafford, between them, shared sole responsibility for hosting England’s truncated international summer.
With it, Lee was left preparing a pitch for three hastily-arranged Tests – two against Pakistan and one with West Indies – three One-Day Internationals and three T20s against Australia.
A career challenge indeed, and there is solid evidence that he achieved his goal as his work stood up to the test, at least giving cricket fans something to cheer this summer to follow on from the heroics of last year
Denne historien er fra September 20, 2020-utgaven av The Cricket Paper.
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Denne historien er fra September 20, 2020-utgaven av The Cricket Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kohli leads RCB to much-needed win
VIRAT KOHLI returned to top form with 72 not out to lead RCB to an eight-wicket victory over the Royals in Abu Dhabi.
TEWATIA HAS SPARKED MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE IPL
James Wallace admits he has been surprisingly taken in by the IPL so far – and, in particular, the performance of a new Royal renegade
Whitewash victory is just the T20 tonic for Keightley
A SERIES that few thought would come to fruition ended in triumph for England who completed a 5-0 whitewash of the West Indies in Derby.
TEN OUT OF TEN! RYAN IS BASKING IN MORE GLORY
Chris Stocks catches up with Ryan ten Doeschate, who has plotted Essex’s recent county domination every step of the way
Surrey have the Will to end hoodoo
WILL Jacks may be a hot batting prospect but he’s relished the added responsibility with the ball in Surrey’s charge to T20 Finals Day.
NOW IT'S OUR TIME TO HELP OTHERS
Chris Stocks catches up with England’s director of cricket and discusses the need for the ECB to help boards around the world
IT'S OFTEN DOWN TO A THROW OF THE DICE
Garfield Robinson explains just how big a part luck plays in determining success or failure in sport
FINDING TALENTS LIKE TOM IS A GAIN IN ITSELF
One of the unexpected highlights to emerge from English cricket’s Covid-attenuated season was the chance given to young players to strut their stuff. With many overseas players and Kolpaks affected by travel restrictions many counties looked instead to the young talent on their staffs with gratifying results.
Future looks bright for the Ohio Slinger
ALI Khan is earning his stars and stripes in the Indian Premier League, with the first American to play in the tournament breaking down barriers in every sense.
Spin trio put squeeze on after Glenn shows off skill with the bat
SARAH GLENN helped England spin it to win it after proving she can make an all-round contribution.
