While most pitch curators are fiercely protective of the main square on a cricket ground, Lee Fortis, the chief curator at The Oval, takes that passion to a nearly sacred level.A week can often change perceptions in both cricket and life. Just days after his heated exchange with India head coach Gautam Gambhir — an incident that painted him as a villain among Indian players and fans — Fortis shared a celebratory toast with his dedicated ground staff, marking the thrilling conclusion of the Test match at The Oval.
“Well, I was never the villain; I was made to look like one. Hope you all enjoyed the spectacle. The atmosphere was like the IPL, and it was a fantastic game,” Fortis told news agency PTI after five thrilling days of cricket at The Oval.With both batters and bowlers finding ample assistance from the pitch, it’s fair to call The Oval’s square a perfect venue for Test cricket. It was a batting feast on day four, with Joe Root and Harry Brook dominating as England chased a formidable 374 runs. However, with England just 35 runs away from victory on day five, Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj conjured something extraordinary. Using the old ball, he swung it both in the air and off the pitch, helping India secure a dramatic, series-levelling win. Though overcast conditions aided him, Siraj’s skill on that day was notable — exploiting the same pitch where batting had looked so comfortable just a day earlier.In the heat of an intense exchange, Gambhir had called Siraj “just a groundsman,” as words were said prior to the Test. The dispute stemmed from an unusual instruction to keep a distance of 2.5 meters from the pitch, an order the visitors found unwelcome.But Fortis chose to sideline that controversy, only describing Gambhir as “tetchy” ahead of a big match.Fortis, who has been named ECB’s curator of the year for three consecutive years, remains intensely passionate about his craft.Soon after Siraj’s crucial wicket, Fortis was back near the main square, preparing for The Hundred, which gets going at this venue from August 9.
