SKIPPER Joe Leach paid tribute to the “phenomenal” work of Ben Davies and Ross Dewar in ensuring the Worcestershire players remained fit enough to stay on the pitch throughout the season.

Leach had an ankle problem, which required a cortisone injection, and then a side strain suffered in the crunch clash at Nottinghamshire.

But thanks to the efforts of head of sports science and medicine Davies and strength and conditioning coach Dewar the 26-year-old played all 14 County Championship matches and was Division Two leading wicket-taker with 69 victims.

Daryl Mitchell, Joe Clarke, Josh Tongue, Ben Cox, Brett D’Oliveira and Ed Barnard also had 100 per cent appearance records in the four-day competition in 2017.

Leach said: “The side strain in particular really hurt and the ankle hampered me a bit during that middle phase of the season with the T20 and the four-day games in that period.

“With the side strain, in Notts' second innings at Trent Bridge, I didn’t think I’d be able to bowl. I was struggling.

“But ultimately you just get through it. It’s only pain. I was having treatment every day and tribute to Ben and Ross.

“They are phenomenal, they put in a lot of work and to have a small squad like we have. Ben told me a stat where we had only 1.1 players unavailable on any given day.

“That is an unbelievable effort from those guys.”

But backing up the skill and work of Davies and Dewar is a high level of commitment and work ethic from the players.

Leach added: “It also speaks for the professionalism of the group and how much they want to play as well.

“Sometimes you don’t see all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

“All the guys are already back working hard in the gym just two weeks after winning the league.

“You don’t see all that hard work but it is worth it for days like we had two weeks ago when we lifted the Division Two title.

“All credit to Ross, Ben and the lads for the way they approach things.”