JOE Leach has revealed his determination to make a bigger contribution with the bat after admitting: “I think I am a better player than my record suggests.”

The Worcestershire player concedes his statistics would indicate that he is a bowling all-rounder.

That facet of his game came on leaps and bounds in 2014 with 33 wickets in the LV= County Championship.

But Leach sees himself as a genuine all-rounder.

His potential with the bat was evident when he scored his maiden century against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham in 2013.

Leach also weighed in with several crucial knocks during the latter part of last season, including two half-centuries in Worcestershire’s promotion-clinching win over Surrey at New Road.

Although the game will quite rightly be remembered for Jack Shantry’s heroics, the importance of those two innings from Leach cannot be underestimated in helping the County to rescue a lost cause.

Leach, who is currently playing for North Canberra Gunghalin in Australia, said: “I think my stats would probably suggest that I am a bowling all-rounder.

“But to be honest I do see myself as a genuine all-rounder.

“Hopefully I can contribute more and more with the bat as that has been an inconsistent part of my performances so far in first-class cricket.

“I think that I am a better player than my record suggests and the performances at the end of the season probably show that.”

Leach gives plenty of credit to assistant coach and bowling coach Matt Mason and fitness and conditioning coach Ross Dewar for his improvement as a bowler.

His performances included a career-best 5-36 against Kent at Tunbridge Wells.

He said: “Obviously my bowling came on more than I could have imagined.

“I owe a lot of that down to the work I did with Mase, but probably even more so Ross Dewar has had a massive impact on my cricket and my bowling in particular.

“The work he has done with me has enabled me to get more pace and hopefully this continues.

“Growing up in my late teens, it looked very much like I would be a batter and bits-and-pieces bowler, but I’m glad this is no longer the case.

“I love being involved in the game and by being a ‘proper’ all-rounder I can hopefully contribute in every game.”