DORSET 320-9 & 143-7 (23pts) beat HEREFORDSHIRE 230 & 232 (6pts) by three wickets

LEFT-ARM spinner Jack Leach could prove to be ‘the final piece in the jigsaw’ in Dorset’s bid to win the MCCA Championship Western Division according to manager Sean Walbridge.

The 19-year-old, who also plays for Somerset Seconds, took 13 wickets on his debut in the county’s latest league victory over Herefordshire, which has catapulted them to the top of the table where they now hold a four-point lead over Berkshire.

Walbridge’s side came close to capturing the crown in 2008 and 2009 but faltered both times in the run-in.

This time the positive boss reckons Leach’s inclusion in a varied bowling attack could be the key to unlocking the glory they have been working towards over the past three years.

He said: “For a 19-year-old on his debut, Jack bowled brilliantly against Herefordshire. He showed great control and discipline on a pitch that was doing a bit throughout the game and he never got greedy.

“His inclusion gives us great balance in our bowling attack and I think that could be the final piece of the jigsaw.

“Over the last three years we have been one of the strongest sides in the league without winning it and that is something we want to put right and have been working hard towards for a long time.

“And I am sure if our top-order batsmen start putting more runs on the board then we will be in with a great chance of being at the summit at the end of the season.”

Leach snared 6-78 and skipper Tom Hicks claimed 3-36 in the first innings at Dean Park as Herefordshire stumbled to 230 with David Exall (61), Craig Wood (38), Atiq Chishti (26) and Charlie Griffiths (32) all making decent contributions but failing to go on to post big scores.

Dorset coped much better with the lively wicket and replied with a knock of 320 thanks to 50 extras and decent knocks from Nick Park (22), Aaron Williams (22), Darren Cowley (48), Hicks (30), Chris Park (48), Ed Denham (37) and Rupes Kitzinger (37).

Cowley and Williams put on 81 for the fourth wicket after Herefordshire had reduced the hosts to 50-3, while Kitzinger shared vital stands of 67 and 57 with Denham and Chris Park respectively in a fine end to the innings, which heralded a 90-run lead.

After bowling 30 no balls, Herefordshire were clearly kicking themselves for how charitable they had been and they set about trying to make amends on their return to the crease with Exall (16), Wood (16), Steve Adshead (23), Chishti (50) and skipper Chris Boroughs (75) taking the visitors to 155-3.

However, they were still finding Leach hard to play and when he broke a fourth-wicket stand of 85 between Chishti and Boroughs by forcing the former to find the hands of Nick Park the fight-back began to falter.

Glyn Treagus (1-16) then got in on the act by dismissing Harshad Patel (6) before Leach claimed the key wicket of Boroughs by trapping him leg before.

From there, Herefordshire collapsed from 202-6 to 232 all out, leaving Dorset a last innings run chase of 142, which looked a formality or so many thought.

After a steady start in which Nick Park (38) stroked the ball to all parts of the ground the hosts began to feel the pressure of the situation as left- arm spinners Daniel Vernon (4-43) and Griffiths (3-38) started to weave some magic with the leather.

From out of nowhere Dorset suffered an almighty collapse from 32-0 to 65-6 before Chris Park (49) formed a valuable partnership of 34 with Leach (7) to steady the innings and get his side back on track.

When Leach departed, the wicketkeeper was then joined by Ed Denham (17), who showed great composure in a stand of 44 to eventually see Dorset home.

The league leaders will travel to St Austell to take on Cornwall in their next Western Division clash, which begins on August 1.