Division One was delicately poised heading into the penultimate day of the competition, with three teams still in contention for the title. Warwickshire began the day in pole position, knowing that their destiny was in their own hands. All they needed to do was secure maximum bowling bonus points by taking nine wickets before 110 overs had been bowled and wrap up victory and the trophy would be theirs.

When Craig Overton fell with 20 overs still to be bowled and just two more wickets needed, the Bears would have been confident. But, as has been the case before for a team desperate for victory, they just couldn’t find a way past Leach.

He and fellow England player Lewis Gregory put on a lengthy stand, and while Chris Woakes removed Gregory in the 107th over, Leach held firm, and Warwickshire were denied a third bowling bonus point.

That meant that Hampshire were the team in charge, needing victory over Lancashire to claim the title, but with the Red Rose set just under 200 to win in that game, Warwickshire were still in with a chance. Victory for them, and anything other than a Hampshire win would see them crowned champions.

But still Leach resisted. He was eventually prised out for 49 by Danny Briggs, having batted for four minutes shy of three hours and faced 140 balls, including one six, struck cleanly over the leg-side off the England spinner. He had given Somerset the lead and something to cling into after a difficult end to the county season, and potentially changed the course of the most coveted trophy in the English game. All in a day’s work for ‘The Nut’.

Watch the Leach six off Briggs below:

6⃣ for Jack Leach 🙌

He's still there for Somerset on 41*…#CountyCricket2021pic.twitter.com/iRZRiTp4sJ

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 23, 2021