Geoffrey William Lees (1 July 1920 – 17 August 2012) was an English cricketer and school teacher. Lees was a right-handed batsman who bowled leg break. He was born at Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Lancashire, and was educated at the King's School, Rochester.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Geoffrey William Lees | ||||||||||||||
| Born | (1920-07-01)1 July 1920 Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Lancashire, England | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 17 August 2012(2012-08-17) (aged 92) Portslade, Sussex, England | ||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Leg break | ||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||
| 1951 | Sussex | ||||||||||||||
| 1947 | Cambridge University | ||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 22 July 2012 | |||||||||||||||
While studying at Downing College, Cambridge, Lees made his first-class debut for Cambridge University against Essex at Fenner's.[1] Cambridge University won the toss and elected to field, with Essex then making 224 all out in their first-innings. Cambridge University responded in their first-innings by making 299 all out, during which Lees was dismissed for 12 runs by David Gray. Cambridge University then made 275/5 declared in their second-innings, setting Cambridge University 201 for victory. In their second-innings chase, Lees was dismissed for a duck by Peter Smith, with the university reaching 134/7, at which point the match was declared a draw.[2] He made a second first-class appearance in that season for the university against Middlesex at Fenner's.[1] Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat first, making 283 all out, to which Cambridge University responded in their first-innings by making 217 all out, during which Lees was dismissed by Jim Sims for 15 runs. Middlesex then made 283/7 declared in their second-innings, which set the university a target of 350 for victory. However, in their second-innings chase they were dismissed for 291, with Lees being dismissed for a duck by Sims. Middlesex won the match by 58 runs.[3]
He later made a single first-class appearance for Sussex against Leicestershire in the 1951 County Championship at the County Ground, Hove.[1] Sussex won the toss and elected to bat first, making 328 all out, with Lees being stumped for a single run off the bowling of Gerry Lester. Leicestershire then made 147 all out in their first-innings, with them being forced to follow-on in their second-innings, which saw them dismissed for 117. Sussex won the match by an innings and 64 runs.[4]
Outside of cricket he was a schoolmaster, teaching at Brighton College from 1948 to 1963 (where he was head of English and a day house housemaster) and later as the headmaster of St. Bees School from 1964 to 1980.[5][6] Following his teaching career, he retired to Brighton with his wife, Joan, where he was again actively involved with Brighton College, serving for some time as a Governor of the College. He died following a prolonged illness at Royal Sussex County Hospital Brighton, Sussex, on 17 August 2012.
Geoffrey Lees at ESPNcricinfo