Going for big scores seems to be young cricket star’s passion
One of Tuks' stalwarts on the cricket field tells from England, where he currently plays club cricket, more about his career and his views on the game.
Whether he is batting in England or South Africa seemingly does not matter to Jack Lees, his goal remains the same – to score runs and lots if he can have his way.
In a recent game playing for Thongsbridge Cricket Club in West Yorkshire, the TuksCricket club’s Cricketer of the Year scored 125 runs off 106 balls. The previous weekend he was also on song scoring 89 runs from 48 balls. Before that, it was 44 runs from 40 balls.
During December’s University Sport South Africa (USSA) tournament playing for Tuks, he scored 171 runs at an average of 85.50. Lees also dominated the 2021-22 summer, battering 504 runs at an average of 72.00 for Tuks. As a spin bowler, he picked up 13 wickets at an average of 15.69.
Lees is not one to let statistics get to his head. For him, when he steps onto the field, there is a job to be done. It does not matter whether it is with a ball in hand or a bat. He considers himself a batsman who can take wickets when needed.
“I am lucky to be naturally inclined to be an attacking batsman, but it does not mean I see myself as a specialist one day or a T20 cricketer. Ask any cricketer, and they will tell you that test cricket is the pinnacle of our sport. I also believe that this is still the case,” he said.
Photo: Reg Caldecott
The 21-year-old got his first taste of playing international cricket in 2020 when he represented South Africa at the u-19 World Cup Tournament in South Africa.
Lees jumped at the opportunity to play club cricket in England because he is a forever student of the game. According to him, he has had to adapt his style of play slightly because the pitches in England are quite different from what he is used to.
“I owe a lot to my dad. He is undoubtedly my biggest fan. Whenever the opportunity arises, we will have lengthy conversations about cricket. Somehow my dad always finds a way to give me new insight into how I should go about things. I don’t know who gets the most excited when new opportunities open to me,” he remarked.
He is also grateful for how TuksCricket’s coaches have gone out of their way to help him fine-tune his technique.
“I still remember when I debuted for Tuks. Eight of my teammates got signed to play professionally. It has motivated me to work harder at my own game,” he commented.
Lees will be back to play for Tuks towards the year’s second half. He hopes to play his part to get Tuks to win the Varsity and the USSA tournaments.
Besides being TuksCricket’s Player of the Year, Lees also received the Players Player of the Year award.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
