Jack Leaning may have been born in Bristol whilst his goalkeeping father Andy was playing for Bristol City in the early 1990s. But, make no mistake, he is a York lad through and through and calls Clifton Park home. No wonder he has been like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for this fixture to come around.
Leaning, 25, moved league clubs from Heworth to York ahead of the 2013 summer and has been part of four league title wins, including the last two years running.
All the while, he has been trying to advance his county career with Yorkshire down the road at Emerald Headingley. And he has made a pretty impressive job of it.
A two-time County Championship winner in 2014 and 2015, he was named as the Young Player of the Year by Yorkshire and the Cricket Writer’s Club after scoring 922 Championship runs in the latter campaign.
By his own admission, Leaning hasn’t quite been able to hit the same heights since, but this summer has seen him make some crucial contributions, most notably timely half-centuries in away wins over Hampshire and Kent.
“I’ve been really looking forward to this game for ages,” he said.
“York are a brilliant club, and they’ve helped me out no end in the six years I’ve been with them.
“There’s some brilliant people there. They’ve worked really, really hard to get to this level, and to be rewarded with hosting a Championship fixture is a massive accolade. I’m sure it will be a special week.
“They’re very successful as a club side, having won a lot of league titles. It’s credit to the club that a lot of Yorkshire lads go and play their cricket there.
“The facilities are fantastic, the nets, the pitches.
