A brief history of the Club
The first recorded cricket match on the Lee Manor Park ground was on 2nd May, 1875, when The Lee Common Amateur Cricket Club hosted a match against local rivals Prestwood. The newspaper report began as follows:
"the first match of the L.C.A.C. club was played on Monday last, and a well contested game took place, with eleven members of the Prestwood Cricket Club, in the park of A. Watson, Esq., Lee, kindly lent by that gentleman for the occasion. The result was a complete victory for the home team..."
In fact the "complete victory”, in a match played, like most of the early games, over two innings, consisted of a win by just 13 runs.
The club's "modern" history dates from 1900, when local boundaries were altered and the club adopted it present name. In that year the Liberty family took up residence in the parish and began to play an active part in the cricket club. The ground was enhanced by landscaping and the planting of several magnificent trees and the Club's facilities were gradually improved. In the early days the players changed into their cricket clothes in the open air. Eventually a wooden hut was erected. Later, the village Guild Rooms were used for changing and refreshment. In 1974 the club artisans built a new pavilion. In 2009 this pavilion was substantially redesigned fand developed through club fundraising, and now provides arguably the best village facilities in Buckinghamshire.
One of the most significant developments in recent years has been a dramatic improvement in the quality of the square. In the club's early days a total of more than 50 was quite exceptional; today, totals of over 200 are commonplace. Pitches at The Lee are now among the best in the Chilterns.
Another significant change came in 1999 when, following many years of discussion, the club played league cricket for the first time. The decision to combine Saturday league cricket with traditional timed games played on Sundays stemmed from the increasing difficulty of obtaining good quality Saturday fixtures and - equally important - the belief that league cricket would help to attract younger players and to raise playing standards. The club joined the Kookaburra Mid Bucks Village League, winning promotion at the first attempt from Division 2 to Division 1. 2001 saw The Lee CC promoted to the Premier League, also winning the League's knockout Cup which was retained in 2002.
The Club’s playing fortunes have fluctuated since then, but the Club has continued to attract new players and managed to field 2 teams on a Saturday, as well as a Sunday team most weekends.
In September 2000 past and present players, together with the Club's President and vice-presidents, marked 125 years of cricket at The Lee with a celebratory dinner and a sponsored six a side tournament in aid of a local charity.
The Lee CC has a growing and maturing Colts section, and the Club is proud of its growing reputation for excellence. Over 100 children are registered for soft ball coaching on a Friday night, with the older children receiving hard ball coaching on a Saturday morning and are delighted that some Colts are playing at District and County level.