Leigh Kentish leaves Anglesea, signs with Torquay as new coach in GCA
One of the most devastating batters in GCA history has a new club, and he’s set to have a huge impact whether he straps on the pads once more or not.
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The allure of a return to turf cricket and helping a consistently successful but never fruitful side win an elusive premiership has proven too great for Leigh Kentish.
In a shock coaching coup, Kentish, who was once one of the most feared batters on GCA pitches, will be Torquay’s first major signing of the off-season after moving from Anglesea.
Kentish said he was excited for a new challenge after the move from the BPCA.
“I’m really excited to be back on turf, even if I’m not playing,” he said.
“I found that initial transition to synthetic wickets challenging in the sense that I hadn’t really played on it since I was about 10 years old, I was lucky to play on turf wickets at a really young age.
“I didn’t enjoy the synthetic wickets as much as I did the turf, so being able to get back on turf that’s still close to home was a major drawcard for me.”
Kentish last padded up in the 2020-21 season when he scored 288 runs at an average of 32, with an elbow injury ruling him out of an ultimately successful year at Anglesea.
He said he would not rule out playing for Torquay, but he saw his new role as a coach first.
“I’ll never say never, I’ve probably been saying that for the last three or four years,” he said.
“I’m not overly hopeful, but I’ll see what the body does and just wait and see.”
Anglesea defeated Jan Juc in the BPCA A1 grand final – with Kentish watching from the sidelines – and Kentish said his former side would not miss him on the field.
“As you can tell, they’re not really a club that needs anything at all,” he said.
“They’ve had such a successful era, they’re such a well-run club and it was great to see them finish off a successful season with a premiership.”
Originally published as Leigh Kentish leaves Anglesea, signs with Torquay as new coach in GCA
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