Worcestershire Head Coach Alan Richardson has paid tribute to all-rounder Joe Leach as he prepares for his final game before retiring in the Vitality County Championship encounter with Lancashire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
Leach is hanging up his spikes after a golden career in which he has picked up 467 first class wickets for Worcestershire and been the front-line member of the attack for the past decade.
He has also scored nearly 4,000 first class runs for the County and started primarily as a batter but evolved into a bowler who finished as Worcestershire’s leading wicket-taker for six seasons.
Richardson said: “I think it will be quite emotional – and so it should be. Joe has been part of the fabric of the club for a long time now, coming through the Academy into being a contracted cricketer and then being a senior player, and captain.
“He has become a huge part of the club, and the club’s history as well.
“We had a get together, a very unofficial and informal dinner for him down at Hampshire and it was really nice for his last away game as a player.
“Everyday we spend with Joe really should be a bit of a celebration of his time with us.
“It’s a great opportunity this week for the members to thank Joe for all his efforts and likewise for him to reciprocate that.
“We know how great and supportive our members are and Joe will certainly have benefitted from that in his time at the club.
“He has been a first team member for 12-13 seasons and his emotional attachment to the club and the supporters is so great.”
Richardson will be looking for someone to step forward and fill Leach’s shoes in the years to come.
He said: “We always look at it, no matter whether it is a retirement or an injury or whatever, as an opportunity for someone to take that challenge on that Joe has done so admirably for a long period of time.
“Joe will leave a huge hole for us on the pitch but also off the pitch.
“The thing I’ll miss most is really his influence off the pitch and that’s where other people are going to have to step up and make sure that continues really.
“The legacy that Joe leaves, a huge part of that is the culture and environment of the club.”
Worcestershire have guaranteed their Division One status for another season after a four game unbeaten run, including three wins, before the defeat away to Hampshire.
Richardson said: “It is no more important than any other game we’ve played this year but it is very much a case of an opportunity for us to put a performance together.
“Since we’ve come back into the red ball block, more often than not we’ve put a really good performance in, which has enabled us to get a couple of results, but it would be really nice to give ourselves that opportunity.
“If you do that, you’ve got a real chance of getting the result you want or getting as positive a result as you can.
“It was really hard work down at Hampshire. They are a good side, a very strong side, especially at home.
“It will be nice to back at HQ in front of the members to finish off nicely but, like I say, it is no more important than any other games that have gone on beforehand.”
Richardson confirmed Tom Taylor, who has made a major contribution during the second half of the summer, will miss the final game of 2024 with the hamstring injury suffered against Hampshire.
But fellow all-rounder Matthew Waite is back available after being ruled out of the match at the Utilita Bowl with a sickness bug.
WORCESTERSHIRE (FROM):
Brett D’Oliveira ©
Gareth Roderick (w)
Jake Libby
Kashif Ali
Rob Jones
Adam Hose
Ethan Brookes
Rehaan Edavalath
Ed Pollock
Matthew Waite
Logan van Beek
Joe Leach
Amar Virdi
Jack Home
Harry Darley
