HE was only supposed to be the stand-in, but cricketer Lee Hodgson went from 12th man to THE man when he played a starring role in England's latest Test match.

The young player hit the big time when he was brought on at Lord's as a substitute fielder during the fourth day of the Test match against the West Indies on Sunday.

Replacing the injured Matthew Hoggard, Lee, from Teesside, made his mark by catching out Windies' batsman Jerome Taylor off a ball by fellow North-East star Steve Harmison.

Playing in front of thousands at the high-profile match was a far cry from the modest crowds 20-year-old Lee is used to.

He spent most of his years playing for Saltburn Cricket Club before he was signed up to the Marylebone Cricket Club's (MCC) Young Cricketers programme last year.

The MCC, based at Lord's, the home of cricket, boasts a number of famous graduates, including former England stars Ian Botham and Phil Tufnell.

Lee looks likely to follow in their footsteps after being called upon by his country when Hoggard went off with a thigh strain.

"I couldn't wait to get on. I was not really nervous - I was really excited," said Lee. "It was all a bit weird at first, but I soon got used to it.

"When I caught the ball, I couldn't see anything, I was just shocked. When I was on the field, I was thinking about if a catch comes in - and when I did get one, it was amazing.

"It was weird because all the players came up to me and were giving me high-fives."

Lee started playing cricket at the age of three for his local club, following in the footsteps of his father, Chris.

Mr Hodgson, secretary of Saltburn Cricket Club, said: "We are all very proud of him. I knew he was going to be 12th man, but didn't think he would get on. He, however, had a gut feeling that he might. Everyone was very excited."

On Sunday evening, members of the Saltburn club gathered at their base, in Marske Mill Lane, to watch a repeat of Lee's performance. "Everyone cheered," said Mr Hodgson.

Club chairman Simon Walker said: "We are all very proud of him. He has not forgotten his roots because he is coming home to play for us. He is a very modest lad. We all call him Big Time when he comes home, but he doesn't let it get to his head at all.

"I hope that he really exceeds. He is a great natural talent, and it is great for the club."

It will be back down to earth for this weekend, however, when Lee plays for Saltburn against Hartlepool.

It is not the first time a stand-in cricketer from the region has played such a key role.

In August 2005, Durham substitute fielder Gary Pratt famously ran out Australian skipper Ricky Ponting during England's 2-1 Ashes series win.