JACK Leach took the next step towards achieving his dream to play cricket for England when he flew out to Dubai with the rest of the England Lions party.

Leach linked up with the squad, including Somerset team-mate Craig Overton last week, initially at Sandhurst and then at Loughborough.

Leach, 25, said: “It was a good moment getting the Lions kit and every cricketer likes getting a new stash and there is a lot of it.

"It gives you a real buzz to have the three lions across your chest – so, now, I am looking forward to getting stuck in."

The local hero, who took 65 championship wickets in 2016, went on: “We then have three-and-a-half weeks in Dubai, mainly training to start with, and then we finish off with a few one-day matches against UAE and a four-day game against Afghanistan.

“I get back to Taunton on December 12 so there will be a week here training with the boys before a break over Christmas.

"After the holiday there will be a bit more time working here and then there is a Lions tour to Sri Lanka which hasn’t been selected yet.

“Hopefully, I will go out to Sri Lanka in February... but that depends on how the next three weeks go.

“It would be great for me to go out there and get some more experience in the Sub-Continent so I would obviously love to get selected for that, but I will take it step by step and see what I can get out of my time in Dubai to begin with.

“It’s brilliant for me to be going with the Lions and part of my journey.

"It's very exciting for me to be involved with an England programme and something I feel I can get a lot from.

"It's a great chance to show people just what I can do and it all takes me along the road towards my target, which is to play for England.”

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TOM Abell notched up his first century since returning to play Grade A cricket for Fremantle Cricket Club in Western Australia on Saturday.

Coming in with the score on 19-3, the 22-year-old Taunton youngster batted for 10 minutes short of four hours before he was out for 102 as he helped Fremantle to 303 against Melville.

The two-day game concludes this weekend.