Worcestershire Club Captain Joe Leach will be closing in on a personal milestone in today’s Specsavers County Championship match with Gloucestershire at the Cheltenham Festival – a ground that holds special memories for the all-rounder.
Leach needs only five more wickets to reach the 300 mark in first class cricket.
The 28-year-old’s tally of 295 victims has come from 83 games at an average of 26.1.
But it is only since 2014 that the Stafford born all-rounder has become a front-line member of the attack.
Before that he was more of a batting all-rounder and scored his maiden first class century (114) at Cheltenham in July 2013 following on from an unbeaten 82 in the first innings.
Leach had wicket returns of 59 in 2015, 65 in 2016 and 69 in 2017 for the County before suffering a stress fracture of the back mid-way through last summer.
He made his first class debut in 2012, representing Leeds-Bradford MCCU against Surrey at the Kia Oval.
Leach has registered 12 five wicket hauls in his career with a career best performance of 6-73 in 2015 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
This summer Leach has taken 26 wickets in eight Championship games at an average of 28.53.
*Current Worcestershire First Team Coach Alex Gidman played in that game where Leach achieved his maiden century and scored 62 in Gloucestershire’s first innings.
