George Leer
English cricketer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Leer (1748 at Hambledon, Hampshire – 1 February 1812 at Petersfield, Hampshire) was an English cricketer who played for Hampshire in the time of the Hambledon Club.
Virginia Spate | |
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| Born | ca. 1748 Hambledon, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 1 February 1812 Petersfield, Hampshire, England |
| Occupations | Cricketer, singer and brewer |
Leer began playing in the 1760s. His name has become almost synonymous with the now archaic long stop fielding position (i.e., directly behind the wicket-keeper) that was deemed so necessary in underarm days.
According to Arthur Haygarth, Leer "was a good and successful bat, but was mostly famous as long-stop to Thomas Brett’s tremendous bowling in the Hambledon matches. He was always called "Little George", and was a fine singer, having a sweet counter-tenor voice.[1] In John Nyren’s book, he is stated to have been a native of Hambledon, but latterly he was a brewer, residing at Petersfield, where he died".[2]
George Leer was a small man who made 44 known appearances from the 1772 season to 1782.