Leach delighted after Nicholls’ crazy dismissal
JACK LEACH confessed last night that he did not realise his freakish dismissal of Henry Nicholls on the first day of the third Test was legitimate. Nicholls trudged off on the eve of tea at Headingley after a straight drive ricocheted off the bat of Daryl Mitchell at the non-striker’s end and into the hands of a gleeful Alex Lees at mid-off. It took England captain Ben Stokes’ celebratory charge towards him, for the Somerset left-arm spinner to realise that the laws of the game do not deem the ball dead in such a situation and that his piece of good fortune had delivered him a second wicket. New Zealand closed on 225 for five courtesy of another unbroken century stand from Mitchell and Tom Blundell. ‘I didn’t even know if that was allowed. I have never seen anything like it. But I will take any wicket I can, as you get enough situations that don’t go your way,’ said Leach. ‘It was very unlucky for Nicholls; very lucky for me. It’s a silly game, isn’t it? That’s what it made me think.’ It left New Zealand’s No 5 disconsolate and the tourists on 123 for five, but their assistant coach Luke Ronchi saw the funny side — joking that it had been typical of Mitchell’s series for the ball to locate the middle of the bat. Ronchi said: ‘I like some of those sorts of things that happen. It’s part of the game, it makes it exciting as well. If you took those sorts of situations out of the game it would make it pretty boring.’
Leach, 31, has experienced a series of ups and downs recently. He suffered a concussion when fielding at the start of the first Test that ruled him out of the remainder of the game and then laboured for 25 wicketless overs at Trent Bridge. However, at Headingley yesterday he struck with his first ball. The day had begun with the resting Jimmy Anderson presenting Leach with a cap to mark his 25 Test appearances. However, Moeen Ali’s recent reversal of his Test retirement and a suggestion from Adil Rashid that he would also consider playing again could put Leach’s place under pressure. But Leach countered: ‘I am just trying to do a good job. If people want to play, then great. It’s my job to put myself in the best position to be in that team.’