Leach eyes Somerset exit to get white-ball chance
ENglANd spinner Jack leach is considering an early- season loan move in his bid to play more white-ball cricket.
Although he accepts conditions in the Caribbean have resulted in him sitting on the bench at international level, he will no longer settle for it with somerset when the royal london Cup gets under way in April.
somerset have not selected the 27-year-old for a 50-over match since a home win over surrey in August 2015, and like West indies stand-in captain Kraigg Brathwaite, he is a modern oddity as a player yet to appear in a twenty20 match.
Of a temporary switch to another county, the slow leftarmer said: ‘that’s a potential option and one i might look at. But at the moment i’ll focus on trying to get into somerset’s white-ball team.
‘i’ve had discussions with the coaches and the door is open. i have to work hard at my game to get myself in their best Xi.
‘it’s difficult and the royal london is at the start of the year, so there may only be one spinner and roelof van de Merwe is a great one-day player.
‘if i feel i won’t play i might ask the question to see if there is an option.’ leach extended his contract at taunton last month, not long after his spin rival at domestic and England level, dominic Bess, revealed he would have to consider leaving the club if his career ambitions were restricted by leach’s presence.
‘i felt for dom last year. From playing test cricket, we were suddenly both in the second team,’ leach added.
‘then i was first-team in the County Championship and he was 12th man a lot. it’s a very difficult situation.
‘i have had those highs and lows, so i try to help him through that, and he has every right to want to play county cricket in the first team and he’s good enough to do that.
‘We do tend to go with two spinners at taunton but we’re all very ambitious and i know i wouldn’t be happy playing only half the games — that wouldn’t get me to where i want to be.
‘the thing with dom is, he’s young, and spinners develop later. He can go away and play, and that could be good for his cricket, or he could stay and try to get past me as number one spinner, which could also push him further.’