Joe Leach

Leach in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Joseph Leach
Born	(1990-10-30) 30 October 1990 (age 34) Stafford, Staffordshire, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium-fast
Relations	Steve Leach (brother)
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2011–2012	Leeds/Bradford MCCU
2012–2024	Worcestershire (squad no. 23)
First-class debut	31 March 2012 Leeds/Bradford MCCU v Surrey
Last First-class	26 September 2024 Worcestershire v Lancashire
List A debut	27 April 2012 Worcestershire v Lancashire
Last List A	27 August 2023 Worcestershire v Hampshire
Career statistics
Competition FC LA T20 Matches 139 59 54 Runs scored 3,990 903 261 Batting average 22.93 28.21 10.44 100s/50s 2/23 0/3 0/0 Top score 114 88 24 Balls bowled 23,516 2,589 849 Wickets 477 57 52 Bowling average 26.91 43.87 26.05 5 wickets in innings 18 0 1 10 wickets in match 1 0 0 Best bowling 6/44 4/30 5/33 Catches/stumpings 32/– 21/– 10/–
Source: EPSNcricinfo, 30 September 2024

Joseph Leach (born 30 October 1990) is a former English cricketer who played for Worcestershire.^[1] Leach was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium. He was born in Stafford, Staffordshire, and was educated at Shrewsbury School.^[2]

Leach made his debut for Staffordshire against Buckinghamshire in the 2008 Minor Counties Championship.^{[citation needed]} The following season he made a further appearance in that competition for the county, against Northumberland at Osborne Avenue, Jesmond.^[3] He also made a single appearance in the MCCA Knockout Trophy in 2009 against Suffolk.^[4] Leach joined Shropshire in 2010, making his debut for the county in the MCCA Knockout Trophy against Cumberland.^{[citation needed]}

While studying French and Philosophy at the University of Leeds,^[5] Leach made his first appearance for Leeds/Bradford MCCU in 2011.^[6] The England and Wales Cricket Board conferred first-class status on Leeds/Bradford MCCU in 2012, with Leach making his first-class debut against Surrey at The Oval. In Surrey's first-innings of 385 all out, Leach took figures of 4/78 from thirteen overs, the best bowling figures of the innings. In Leeds/Bradford MCCU's first-innings response, Leach was dismissed for a duck by Tom Jewell. In their second-innings, he recorded his maiden first-class half century with a score of exactly 50, before being dismissed by Tim Linley. Leeds/Bradford MCCU narrowly lost the match by 2 runs.^{[citation needed]}

Leach played grade cricket in ACT for North Canberra Gungahlin Cricket Club during 2016–2017 season.^{[citation needed]}

He developed into a key member of Worcestershire's squad, becoming a first-team regular in 2015. In 2016 he was appointed county captain.^[7]

In July 2024, Leach announced he would retire from professional cricket at the end of that year's English county season.^[8] He ended his final season as Worcestershire's joint leading County Championship wicket-taker alongside Nathan Smith and Tom Taylor.^[9]

• Joe Leach at ESPNcricinfo