Basingstoke & North Hants are endeavouring to come to terms with the loss of their hugely popular former captain Lee Nurse, who has died aged 43 years.
He was admitted to hospital two weeks ago having contracted coronavirus. He had previously been in good health.
Son of Leon Nurse, Lee was Basingstoke born and bred, a classy batsman who as a teenage prospect in 1993/94 was selected to tour the West Indies with the West of England Under-15 schools, alongside representing Hampshire throughout the junior age groups and onto Hampshire second team.
Having cemented his place in the May’s Bounty first team for whom he scored almost 11,000 runs (18 hundreds and 56 half-centuries, plus 50 wickets) Lee went on to captain Basingstoke & North Hants, but left to join Finchampstead in 2006 when the Bountymen were relegated from the Home Counties Premier Division.
He was immediately made captain of Finchampstead, at the time describing his decision to leave Basingstoke as “the hardest I have ever had to make. I had to think long and hard about it. I've never played anywhere else and it is my club, where I have a lot of friends and family.”
Lee, who wore an infectious smile, played Minor Counties Championship for Berkshire between 1997 and 2006, having made two Bain Hogg Trophy appearances for Hampshire seconds against Somerset and Worcestershire in 1995.
Tributes
Tributes have poured in since news of Lee’s death was announced, with former May’s Bounty team-mate and now West Indies assistant coach Toby Radford saying: “I have such fond memories batting with him at Basingstoke.
"He always wore a big broad smile and he loved a laugh and a joke. He was the epitome of a team player and was everyone’s friend.”
Another of Lee's former team-mates Julian Wood added: "As a family we are absolutely devastated, totally numb.
"When I sit and think of the years we played together, it was an absolute honour to have taken the field with him, I find myself smiling as we had such a great time not only on the field but off it.
"Lee was small in stature, but huge in character, my god we had some laughs ! They’re stories that will be told for years to come, the best era I played in due to his and others strong infectious characters. Feel privileged to have known you! "
* An appreciation by Basingstoke & North Hants CC appears above.
He was admitted to hospital two weeks ago having contracted coronavirus. He had previously been in good health.
Son of Leon Nurse, Lee was Basingstoke born and bred, a classy batsman who as a teenage prospect in 1993/94 was selected to tour the West Indies with the West of England Under-15 schools, alongside representing Hampshire throughout the junior age groups and onto Hampshire second team.
Having cemented his place in the May’s Bounty first team for whom he scored almost 11,000 runs (18 hundreds and 56 half-centuries, plus 50 wickets) Lee went on to captain Basingstoke & North Hants, but left to join Finchampstead in 2006 when the Bountymen were relegated from the Home Counties Premier Division.
He was immediately made captain of Finchampstead, at the time describing his decision to leave Basingstoke as “the hardest I have ever had to make. I had to think long and hard about it. I've never played anywhere else and it is my club, where I have a lot of friends and family.”
Lee, who wore an infectious smile, played Minor Counties Championship for Berkshire between 1997 and 2006, having made two Bain Hogg Trophy appearances for Hampshire seconds against Somerset and Worcestershire in 1995.
Tributes
Tributes have poured in since news of Lee’s death was announced, with former May’s Bounty team-mate and now West Indies assistant coach Toby Radford saying: “I have such fond memories batting with him at Basingstoke.
"He always wore a big broad smile and he loved a laugh and a joke. He was the epitome of a team player and was everyone’s friend.”
Another of Lee's former team-mates Julian Wood added: "As a family we are absolutely devastated, totally numb.
"When I sit and think of the years we played together, it was an absolute honour to have taken the field with him, I find myself smiling as we had such a great time not only on the field but off it.
"Lee was small in stature, but huge in character, my god we had some laughs ! They’re stories that will be told for years to come, the best era I played in due to his and others strong infectious characters. Feel privileged to have known you! "
* An appreciation by Basingstoke & North Hants CC appears above.
