Joe Leach: Supporting every step

The Cricketer speaks to Worcestershire captain Joe Leach about his rise from Shrewsbury School to the first-class game, and how Woodstock Cricket helped him along the way

Woodstock Cricket are delighted to be supporting The Cricketer Schools Guide, having taken great pride in providing young players with the very best support, advice and of course, the finest quality handcrafted cricket bats and equipment.

Players that include the likes of Worcestershire captain Joe Leach, who looks back on his long relationship with Woodstock, and his time at Shrewsbury School, with a great sense of gratitude.

Leach, now 30, joined Shrewsbury as a 13-year-old and was surrounded by a golden generation of cricketing talent. He was the year below James Taylor, now an England selector, and Glamorgan’s David Lloyd would join the school in sixth form in the year below Leach.

“I feel lucky that I ended up at Shrewsbury. I was there when the cricket centre was built and got to work with Paul Pridgeon (formerly a Worcestershire bowler and now vice-chairman at the county).

“I do attribute a lot of me becoming professional to Shrewsbury and Pridg, he was exceptional. The facilities were as good as those in the professional game, as was the coaching. The pitches were outstanding as well so you do realise how fortunate you are to be in that environment. “If you want to become professional, everything is there for you to do it.

“I always batted at the top for school, and I opened the bowling too. Though, I remember on a tour to Australia I had an absolute nightmare with the new ball, and master in charge Andy Barnard said I’d never be bowling with the new ball again.

“The irony is that I take it now in first-class cricket. I let him know that all the time!”

^{Leach is fully equipped with Woodstock equipment}

Since 2012, the year of his first-class debut for Leeds/Bradford MCCU, Leach has been part of Woodstock’s stable.

“I’ve had a really good relationship with John Newsome, who founded the brand, ever since I got to know him. He made bats for some guys at Shrewsbury CC and after picking up a couple of them, I rang John and have been lucky enough to be associated with them ever since.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad Woodstock, nor have I ever seen someone buy one and say it’s anything other than outstanding. The quality speaks for itself as the company continues to grow with more professionals joining.

“If you go into most of the leagues around here, there are at least three or four Woodstocks in each side.”

Having the right equipment is essential for promising young cricketers looking to make their way in the game. Getting that first contract is so important and Woodstock help their players fulfil their potential through expertise and personal touch.

Leach has walked out to bat with a Woodstock his entire professional career. And it’s not just been his bat that has always displayed the Woodstock name. The Shropshire brand provide contracted players with the full arsenal of equipment including pads, gloves, protective equipment and bags.

“The way John treated me when I was younger, he deserves the loyalty. To be able to drive 45 minutes up the road and go see him at his barn is gold dust. I trust him explicitly. He knows what I like more than I know what I like!

“It’s got to the point now that when I go visit him he’s already got three or four bats waiting for me, ready to go. He can just look at a piece of wood and know if it will do the job, and he hasn’t been wrong yet.”

For more information about sponsorship, or to arrange for Woodstock Cricket to visit your school, visit www.woodstockcricket.co.uk

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