Cricket: Leach sniffs Ashes chance with Stokes return

FILE PHOTO: Cricket - Ashes 2019 - Fifth Test - England v Australia - Kia Oval, London, Britain - September 15, 2019 England's Jack Leach successfully appeals for the wicket of Australia's Tim Paine Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - England are beaming with the return of Ben Stokes for the Ashes but few players could be happier than spinner Jack Leach, who sees the pugnacious all-rounder as his own ticket back into the test set-up.

Stokes's absence through the home summer also saw Leach left out in the cold with selectors preferring seam-heavy attacks for "team balance" against New Zealand and for most of the truncated India series.