Jack Leach’s winter began with a “horrible” experience at the Gabba but he now feels central to England’s Test plans and wants to further develop a more attacking mindset after watching videos of Graeme Swann in his pomp.
The left-arm spinner heads into the deciding third Test against West Indies, starting on Thursday, fresh from a gruelling workload of 94.5 overs during the drawn second Test at Kensington Oval that returned six of his 11 wickets on tour but in which both he and England were thwarted by Kraigg Brathwaite’s stickability.
Leach’s duel with Brathwaite, in which the West Indies captain spent a combined 15 hours making scores of 160 and 56 not out, featured one belated success, in the first innings, when he spun one past the bat and bowled his man. It was something of a staring contest overall, however, with more than 200 dot balls chalked up and Leach sending down 40 maidens in the match.
It is certainly a far cry from being taken for 102 runs in 13 overs in Brisbane last November and, though the slow surfaces have not offered more scope to run through a side, Leach feels he is learning plenty in the Caribbean.
“I felt horrible [after the Gabba],” he said. “But I trained the next day – [the spin coach] Jeetan Patel made me – and I think I surprised myself with how I deal with lows. Australia was a tough trip but I came back motivated and buzzing.
“ I’m trying to become the frontline spinner for England and I see the last couple of weeks as really valuable for my development on that road. It won’t be too long before I turn those three‑fors into five-fors, especially in the second innings.”
Leach is not sure what more he could have done to prise Brathwaite from his rock sooner in Bridgetown after seeing a couple of gloved deliveries drop short of the catchers. His greatest takeaway, looking ahead to the third Test, is the need to hold his length for longer periods and adapt the approach depending on the age of the ball and how the pitch changes.
“A big focus for me is having that attacking mindset, always looking to take wickets,” he said.
“I’ve been guilty of easing into spells in the past, earning the right to bowl and go at two runs an over. But that’s a negative mindset.
“I’ve watched YouTube videos of [the former England spinner] Graeme Swann and how attacking he looks. He’s thinking: ‘How am I trying to get this guy out?’, and that’s important early on, the first 20 balls versus a batter is your chance.
“But even if it doesn’t happen and I’m bowling 60 overs, it’s important to keep that mindset. There are times when the pitches here have felt very unresponsive, especially when the ball is older; the newer ball grips and [on some days] the pitches have felt tacky early on and spin.
“On the third morning I thought I could drive it into the wicket to get it to spin but as the ball gets older, you have to give it more air. That’s something I’ll take forward, it’s not something you get used to in England. But that’s part of the journey of learning to be a spinner in Test cricket.”
Leach has not played a home Test since September 2019 and, as he acknowledges, match-winning performances will ultimately decide how much a career of 21 caps and 79 wickets to date truly flourishes. Key to this, he believes, is buying into the “team-first” mantra being espoused on this trip.
“That’s been the message to everyone really,” the 30-year-old said. “It’s all about the team and we all have a voice. Before I felt a lot of pressure on my own game and you forget you are contributing to something bigger.
“It almost takes the pressure off your own game. I said openly to the group here that at Somerset I feel I belong, so I feel more comfortable giving my points of view. Maybe because I felt I belonged in terms of what I offer on the cricket field.
“We wouldn’t be here if we are not good enough cricketers, but we can offer in different ways. I want to offer with wickets, but if I’m not I want to be awesome in the field and try to score runs. I think maybe I got it a bit wrong beforehand. Not on purpose but I felt I was playing for my spot.”
All eyes are now on the surface in Grenada and whether England will look to a second spinner in Matt Parkinson. The early suggestions are that the seamers will get more assistance than before, however, and so Leach, with 168 overs under his belt already this series, may be flying solo once more.
