In My Mind's Eye Number 9: Garnet Lee (1887-1976)

There have been times, certainly in the years that I have watched Derbyshire, when the recruitment of players in their late thirties has rebounded badly.

Perhaps the same thoughts were entertained when the county signed Garnet Lee from Nottinghamshire at the end of the 1922 season. He was 35 years old and had to spend two years qualifying, before making his debut. So it was 1925 when the soon to be 38-year old made his debut and expectations will have been limited. He had struggled to hold down a regular place at Trent Bridge, despite being on the staff there since 1910. He was primarily a batsman, but the intervention of the Great War and limited his impact, despite opportunity. He had just started to find his best form in 1913 and 1914, but failed to recapture that in the first seasons after the conflict.

Yet even on his debut for Derbyshire, against Northamptonshire, it was noted by the watching press that he appeared to be 'the quality of opening batsman that Derbyshire had lacked for many seasons.' He made only 27 runs, but it was the way in which he made them that was important. He may have been senior in years, but at a time when young batsmen like Worthington, Townsend and Hutchinson were emerging, he gave them the requisite experience that was to aid their development.

His first season was a triumph, seeing him make a thousand runs for the first time, as well as taking wickets with leg spin and googlies that had been seldom used before. He was to go on and score a thousand runs six times in his nine seasons with the county, to go with almost 400 wickets in his first-class cricket career.

He produced a string of outstanding performances. In 1926 he scored 191 against Kent, as well as taking five wickets in an innings on four occasions. In 1927 he produced an outstanding individual display against Northamptonshire, when an unbeaten century was followed by bowling figures of 7-78 and 5-65.  A forcing batsman, he hit eight sixes in one century against Northamptonshire and supporters enjoyed watching a player who took the attack to the opposition, encouraging others to do so by his example. Reports reflect on the 'glory' of his driving and the 'sheer pleasure of watching bat put to ball in such a manner'. After years of struggle, it contributed to an exciting side, with Worthington and Townsend each contributing their own measured aggression to an increasingly potent mix.

His final season was in 1933, when the averages dropped a little and at 45 he was no longer the force that he had been. Even so, there was a century against Leicestershire and another against Northamptonshire, the thousand-run mark passed again, despite batting down the order. There were younger players in the wings, however, with Albert Alderman and Denis Smith ready to begin a successful partnership together, Harry Storer another alternative. The team was on the cusp of greatness and Lee had played an important role in its development.

He went onto the first-class umpires list in 1935 and remained on it, around the war, until 1949, when he resigned because of his wife's health. There were coaching engagements too, including a wartime role at Repton School, where he coached the young Donald Carr.

He was a regular visitor to both Trent Bridge and Derby in retirement, always happy to chat about the game and those that he played with and against.

Without doubt a player I would have loved to have known as well as seen, he died at his home at Hawtonville, Newark-on-Trent on 29 February, 1976.

(Image sourced courtesy of David Griffin from the Derbyshire CCC Archive)

The A-Z of Derbyshire Cricket - L is for Lee: Garnet Lee

Without fear of contradiction, I think I could say that Derbyshire haven't had an L of a lot of good players beginning with that letter. They could have though...

For those with memories stretching back as far as mine, you will recall the summer when Eddie Barlow brought over three young South Africans to gain experience with our Second XI. One was the man who featured in my previous article, Peter Kirsten. The others were Allan Lamb and Garth Le Roux.

As we all know, Lamb went on to become an England legend, yet typically of the Derbyshire administration of the time, no one thought to check his credentials when he appeared for our Seconds. What might have been accomplished by a Derbyshire batting line up of Wright, Kirsten and Lamb at 2, 3, 4? Le Roux was strong and fast, eventually sealing his reputation in World Series Cricket as well as on the south coast for Sussex. Either of those players would have been a certainty for top spot in this category, but I think we were all happy with the choice of  Peter Kirsten...

We shouldn't forget the example set by Charl Langeveldt, but he only had one full summer in our colours so I discount him accordingly. There's also Charlie Lee, a batsman who came to Derbyshire from Yorkshire and ended up with 12,000 runs at an average of 27. He had eight centuries in that tally but his self-deprecating sense of humour suggested that his style was not always to the fans liking. In one of the old club year books he wrote that one newspaper suggested it would be nice if he batted against the clock, rather than the sundial! He could hit though and on one occasion clumped Jim McConnon of Glamorgan for five sixes on a turning pitch, winning a game in the final innings that the off-spinner must have fancied was his for the taking.

My choice for L supremo, however, is Garnet Lee, pictured above, second left on the front row in a photograph taken in front of the Ilkeston pavilion in 1925, his debut season. Astonishingly, the all-rounder didn't play for Derbyshire until he was 38, moving across the border from Nottinghamshire, where he struggled to keep a regular place in the side over seventeen seasons. He then played for eight seasons and was a key man in an ever-improving side. In those years he scored sixteen centuries and just short of ten thousand runs. They were attractively made too, in a side not always known for batting solidity. At Northampton in 1931 he hit eight sixes in an unbeaten 141 and there were plenty of knocks that suited the demands of the game.

In addition, he had a career tally of 397 wickets with leg breaks and googlies at a very respectable average of 28, with 313 of those coming in Derbyshire colours. Eighteen times he took five wickets in an innings and his greatest performance came in 1927 against Northamptonshire. Lee won the match single-handed, scoring an unbeaten century, followed by bowling figures of 7-78 and 5-65.

Even in his final season, at the age of 46, he was good enough to score a thousand runs and take sixteen wickets, yet he realised that there was a lot of emerging talent at the club, much of it nurtured by Lee in his work with young players. The Pope brothers, Les Townsend and Stan Worthington were all-rounders of ability and Lee knew the time was right to step aside. He became a first-class umpire, staying on the list until 1949, while during the war he coached at Repton School, playing a major part in the development of future club captain, Donald Carr.

Garnet Lee gave Derbyshire an experienced player of quality, at a time when their young players had only potential. He gave them breathing space to develop and made a substantial contribution to the club's history.

L is for Lee... Garnet Lee

Without fear of contradiction, I think I could say that Derbyshire haven't had an L of a lot of good players beginning with that letter. They could have though...

For those with memories stretching back as far as mine, you will recall the summer when Eddie Barlow brought over three young South Africans to gain experience with our Second XI. One was the man who featured in my previous article, Peter Kirsten. The others were Allan Lamb and Garth Le Roux.

As we all know, Lamb went on to become an England legend, yet typically of the Derbyshire administration of the time, no one thought to check his credentials when he appeared for our Seconds. What might have been accomplished by a Derbyshire batting line up of Wright, Kirsten and Lamb at 2,3, 4? Le Roux was strong and fast, eventually sealing his reputation in World Series Cricket as well as on the south coast for Sussex. Either of those players would have been a certainty for top spot in this category, but I think we were all happy with the choice of Monsieur Kirsten...

We shouldn't forget the example set by Charl Langeveldt, but he only had one full summer in our colours so I discount him accordingly. There's also Charlie Lee, a batsman who came to Derbyshire from Yorkshire and ended up with 12,000 runs at an average of 27. He had eight centuries in that tally but his self-deprecating sense of humour suggested that his style was not always to the fans liking. In one of the old year books he wrote that one newspaper suggested it would be nice if he batted against the clock, rather than the sundial! He could hit though and on one occasion clumped Jim McConnon of Glamorgan for five sixes on a turning pitch, winning a game in the final innings that the off-spinner must have fancied was his for the taking.

My choice for L supremo, however, is Garnet Lee, pictured above, second left on the front row in a photograph taken in front of the Ilkeston pavilion in 1925, his debut season. Astonishingly, the all-rounder didn't play for Derbyshire until he was 38, moving across the border from Nottinghamshire, where he struggled to keep a regular place in the side over seventeen seasons. He then played for eight seasons and was a key man in an ever-improving side. In those years he scored sixteen centuries and just short of ten thousand runs. They were attractively made too, in a side not always known for batting solidity. At Northampton in 1931 he hit eight sixes in an unbeaten 141 and there were plenty of knocks that suited the demands of the game.

In addition, he had a career tally of 397 wickets with leg breaks and googlies at a very respectable average of 28, with 313 of those coming in Derbyshire colours. Eighteen times he took five wickets in an innings and his greatest performance came in 1927 against Northamptonshire. Lee won the match single-handed, scoring an unbeaten 100, followed by bowling figures of 7-78 and 5-65.

Even in his final season, at the age of 46, he was good enough to score a thousand runs and take sixteen wickets, yet he realised that there was a lot of emerging talent at the club, much of it nurtured by Lee in his work with young players. The Pope brothers, Les Townsend and Stan Worthington were all-rounders of ability and Lee knew the time was right to step aside. He became a first-class umpire, staying on the list until 1949, while during the war he coached at Repton School, playing a major part in the development of Donald Carr.

While Nathan Fearn's choice on the club site of Albert Lawton was a fair player and a particularly fine driver of the ball, Garnet Lee gave Derbyshire an experienced player of quality at a time when their young players had only potential. He gave them breathing space to develop and made a substantial contribution to the club's history.