The Daily Telegraph - 26.08.2019

Sport Third Specsavers Ashes Test

T

here were 73 runs to

win, and a raucous

Headingley had just

been deafened by the

sound of impending

Australian glory. As

Jack Leach, England’s bespectacled

No 11, walked to the middle, all that

seemed unresolved were the

details of exactly how Australia

would retain the urn.

Throughout his professional

career, Leach has not been much of

a batsman. He has a first-class

average of 12. For Somerset this

season, he averages 4.5 from 13

innings. He had been selected for

England for many good reasons;

run production was not one of

them.

So the situation that Leach was

thrust into while he kept Ben

Stokes company was not really

analogous to anything that

sportsmen in other games go

through. In other sports, however

great the pressure they are under,

athletes are at least being tested on

the skills that have got them to

such an elevated position.

This was completely different.

Leach is England’s No 11. And while

he has been selected because he is

England’s best Test spinner,

thousands of cricketers up and

down the land – not just

professionals but also good club

players – would consider

themselves better batsmen.

A month ago, Leach belied his

first-class record to make 92 in a

Test against Ireland, almost

scoring the first century by an

English nightwatchman. If the

opposition were far more modest

than England would face in the

Ashes, Leach’s innings was crucial

in England winning in spite of

being bundled out for 85 in the

first innings. That innings

benefited from a healthy dollop of

luck – Leach played and missed an

inordinate amount – but was also

vindication of his commitment to

self-improvement in the nets.

At Headingley, Leach did not

even have to think about how to

score runs: that was not his job.

Instead, he acted as the enabler for

Stokes’s brilliance, a truth that

Stokes recognised by being unable

to watch his batting partner face

deliveries. Every ball that Leach

survived was cheered even more

boisterously than the last.

Glenn McGrath always longed to

be batting at the end to win his

country a Test match; for all his

bowling greatness, this eluded him

throughout his 124 Tests. With

every ball that evaded his stumps

or the edge of his bat, Leach edged

closer to realising McGrath’s, and

every tail-ender’s, dream.

But there is no sentimentality to

Ashes cricket. Just ask Michael

Kasprowicz, whose batting from

No 11 hauled Australia to within

two runs of England’s total at

Edgbaston in 2005. Kasprowicz

added 59 for the last wicket, yet

was left with the sting of defeat.

Through Leach’s doughtiness

and Stokes’s impudent hitting,

England had whittled that target of

73 down to just two. Stokes was on

strike from Nathan Lyon, and

attempted another reverse sweep.

The ball went to short fine leg and,

for a few perilous moments,

Leach’s equanimity deserted him.

Somehow, Lyon fumbled the

ball, squandering the chance. And,

somehow, Stokes was reprieved

the next ball when plumb lbw. In

the bedlam, Stokes was unable to

shepherd the strike. And so Pat

Cummins had potentially six balls

to attack Leach.

A wicket would render all of

Leach’s resolve in vain. Cummins

reckoned that the best way to

scupper England’s Ashes dreams

lay in the same type of short ball

that had done for Kasprowicz. With

short leg and leg gully bracing

themselves, the first delivery was a

high bouncer which Leach left

safely alone. The second was dug

into his body; Leach flicked it

down, to leg gully, and resisted any

notion of a madcap run. The third

ball attacked Leach’s ribs once

again. This time, Leach steered the

ball past short leg. Leach scored

only one run, but what a run it was.

For this was the moment that

England tied the scores – meaning

that, whatever happened, the

Ashes would remain alive. All that

remained was for Stokes to

complete the miracle, triggering

Leach’s embrace. “The best kiss

I’ve ever had,” Stokes joked.

In the moments after, Leach

removed his spectacles to greet his

delirious team-mates. They all

knew that, without Leach’s one off

17 balls, Stokes would not have

been able to thrash 74 from 45 at

the other end. Without Leach’s

meticulousness, there could have

been no Stokes madness, and no

Headingley miracle to rival 1981.

England’s Ashes hopes would

already be extinguished.

A cricketer selected for one skill

had, somehow, survived in his

weaker suit for exactly 60 minutes

to help his country in their hour of

Ashes need, facing down one of the

most ferocious pace attacks to land

on this shore this century. Stokes

will always have his moment – and

so will Leach, the No 11 who was

indispensable in England’s Ashes

heist.

Eye on the ball: Jack Leach cleans his

glasses during his heroic innings

He scored only one

run, but what a run

it was. This was the

moment England

tied the scores

GETTY

Wiping his glasses,

resolute Leach plays

the perfect partner

England No 11 kept clear

head and vision to help

make history, writes Tim

Wigmore at Headingley

Rory Burns

Has done his job with 242 runs

at 40 but can he keep on doing

it, now he is being targeted with

bouncers? Make or break in next

two Tests.

Joe Root

Let down by his seamers on day

one, and his openers on day

two, he reasserted his authority

with 77. A freakish dismissal but

the banner had been raised.

Jason Roy

Brought England’s house down

with feckless cover drive. Got a

corker second time, but a quarter-

forward stab did not give him

best chance. Time for change.

Joe Denly

That loose, speculative,

cover-driving seems inbuilt, and

ducking into bouncers has no

future, but after his gutsy 50 he

deserves to finish this series.

Ben Stokes

Did everything he could to make

up for his careless first-innings

cover drive, first bowling then

playing the greatest Test innings

for England.

Jonny Bairstow

Does not seem so sure of his

role at six, a little more tentative

about attacking. Dropped a

catch but decent all-round

game – if miscast.

Chris Woakes

Being sorted out by bouncers,

and not bowling his full

allotment – due to his knees?

• so likely to make way for Sam
  Curran or James Anderson.

Stuart Broad

Beating the bat he looked so

good on day one, and was fuller

than normal but not quite full

enough. Needs to use the crease

when round the wicket.

Jos Buttler

Only a walk-on part – then

walked off after being run out

when he was not to blame.

Always hard to find a role as a

specialist batsman at seven.

Jofra Archer

Short-of-a-length rockets at

Lord’s, line-and-length in Leeds

and eight wickets. Amazing

versatility and game sense for

one in his second Test.

Jack Leach

Should have bowled more in

Australia’s second innings. But

nothing mattered compared

with his calmness at the end in

partnership with Stokes.

4

3

7

9

10

6 8

2

5

6

7

England

player

ratings

By Scyld Berry

6 *** Monday 26 August 2019 The Daily Telegraph
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