Surrey Groundsman and the oval boss curator Lee Fortis did not expect to become part of the story. But in the week of cricket, the man gave a tall drama at every step, the man behind the playground in the oval found himself in the middle of it – first as a villain, then as an unlikely hero.
A few days ago, Fortis was caught in the eye of the storm. Tense exchange with head coach India Gautam GambhirReportedly over the restrictions of access near the playground, it has been spiraling to the heading moment. Gambhir, frustrated by what the Indian team considered instructions above the summit, allegedly called Fortis “just an attitude”. This note with many did not decrease well, especially on Indian social media.
Fortis kept cool. “It looked a little closely,” he said quietly before the match, refusing to add fuel to the fire. A quick move forward for five days and the mood around Fortis has changed completely.
When the Sun fell into a remarkable test match – the one that ended with Mohammed Sraj, rattling Gus Atkinson’s stump to give India a six -seater victory – Fortis stood on the edge of the square, in hand and shared a quiet toast with his ground crew. The stress of the week melted into satisfaction.
“Well, I’ve never been a villain, I was made in one,” he said with a smile. “I hope you liked the show. The atmosphere was like iPL. It was a great game.”
And it really was. Pitch Fortis has prepared life. On the fourth day, Joe Root and Harry Brook seemed to see that the dairy target of 374 seems too easy. The surface looked flat, Bowling looked tired and the result looked inevitable. But fifth in the morning began to speak the same playground under a heavy sky. The ball turned. That started. Suddenly England was chasing.
Siraj led the charge, but the conditions – the surface that was allowed to breathe, develop and challenge – told their own story.
In a week he could be bitter, Fortis let the cricket speak. In the last three seasons, the ECB curator knows how rare it is to get this balance right – a surface that allows shining a pile and a ball that gives us a type of low tide and a flow on which a test cricket is built.
And while the players and fans celebrated the SkaPačka finals, Fortis was looking forward. When it became hundreds that started with Oval 9 August, he was back at work – he checked the square, spoke to his team, and did a job he loved clearly.
During the match, his towering frame – nearly seven feet – became a well -known view of the wandering Indian press, especially when he was seen behind the wheel of a heavy war. It’s not something that many curators would do, but Fortis is not like most. He is practical, proud and is completely immersed in his work.
Ask around the press box and local journalists will tell you, “He’s an interesting guy.” Unpredictable, yes. But passionate. Committed. And above all deeply respecting the game.
The oval test was one for ever. It let us remember. And behind the scenes it reminded us that people who prepare the stage – quiet surface administrators – can also shape the story.
Lee Fortis doesn’t have to worry much about the reflector. But after this week he won his moment.
– ends
Published:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
August 6, 2025
