Richard Lee (cricketer, born 1950)

{{short description|Australian cricketer, banker and businessman}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name =

| image =

| country = Australia

| fullname = Richard John Lee

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|3|6|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Ryde, New South Wales, Australia

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| nickname =

| family =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm medium

| role =

| club1 = Oxford University

| year1 = 1972–1974

| columns = 2

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 24

| runs1 = 950

| bat avg1 = 21.59

| 100s/50s1 = 1/3

| top score1 = 130

| deliveries1 = 2,262

| wickets1 = 29

| bowl avg1 = 37.27

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 4/56

| catches/stumpings1 = 14/–

| column2 = List A

| matches2 = 4

| runs2 = 55

| bat avg2 = 13.75

| 100s/50s2 = 0/0

| top score2 = 27

| deliveries2 = 237

| wickets2 = 5

| bowl avg2 = 35.00

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = –

| best bowling2 = 3/35

| catches/stumpings2 = 4/–

| date = 25 April

| year = 2020

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/16527.html Cricinfo

}}

Richard John Lee {{postnominal|country=AUS|AM}} (born 6 March 1950) is an Australian business executive and a former banker and first-class cricketer.

Lee was born at the Sydney suburb of Ryde in March 1950. He studied at the University of Sydney,{{cite web|url=https://www.marketscreener.com/business-leaders/Richard-Lee-8675/biography/ |title=Richard Lee |publisher=www.marketscreener.com |accessdate=2020-04-26}} before going as a Rhodes Scholar to Worcester College at the University of Oxford.{{cite news|url=https://www.theland.com.au/story/4147831/ruralco-picks-former-banker-rick-lee-as-chairman/ |title=Ruralco picks former banker as new chairman |first=Andrew |last=Marshall |date=2016-09-07 |work=The Land |accessdate=2020-04-26}}

While studying at Oxford, Lee played first-class cricket for Oxford University, making his debut against Leicestershire at Oxford in 1972. Lee played first-class cricket for Oxford until 1974, making a total of 23 appearances.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/30/30883.html |title=Oxford University v Surrey, 1970 |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2020-04-26 |url-access=subscription}} An all-rounder, he scored a total of 894 runs for Oxford, at an average of 21.28 and a high score of 130.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/30/30945/f_Batting_by_Team.html |title=First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Rick Lee |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2020-04-26 |url-access=subscription}} This score, which was his only first-class century, came against Lancashire in 1973.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/30/30945/f_Batting_by_Opponent.html |title=First-class Batting and Fielding Against Each Opponent by Rick Lee |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2020-04-26 |url-access=subscription}} With his right-arm medium pace bowling, he took 27 wickets at a bowling average of 39.18 and best figures of 4 for 56.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/30/30945/f_Bowling_by_Team.html |title=First-class Bowling For Each Team by Rick Lee |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2020-04-26 |url-access=subscription}} In addition to playing first-class cricket for Oxford, he also appeared in four List A one-day matches for the university in the 1973 Benson & Hedges Cup.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/30/30945/List_A_Matches.html |title=List A Matches played by Rick Lee |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2020-04-26 |url-access=subscription}} Lee also played a first-class match for a combined Oxford and Cambridge Universities team against the touring New Zealanders in 1973.

After graduating from Oxford, Lee returned to Australia, where he worked for CSR in the international marketing and pricing of raw sugar exports, before joining Rothschild Australia in 1985. He retired from Rothchild as a chief executive officer in 2001, before rejoining CSR as a director in 2005, a position he retained until its acquisition by Wilmar International in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.australiancanefarms.com.au/team-2 |title=Team - Australian Cane Farms |publisher=www.australiancanefarms.com.au |accessdate=2020-04-26}} He later became a director of Oil Search, and in the 2015 Birthday Honours he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to business and commerce through a range of executive roles, and to sporting and charitable groups”.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jun/08/queens-birthday-honours-list-australian-awards-2015-in-full |title=Queen's birthday honours list: Australian awards 2015 – in full |date=2015-06-08 |work=The Guardian |accessdate=2020-04-26}} In September 2016, he was appointed the chairman of Ruralco.