Leach, the unheralded hero who made Ben Stokes' match-winning Headingley knock possible from the non-striker's end, is locked in a tight Ashes selection battle on the eve of the series opener.

In the 30-year-old's favour is Stokes' return and several factors, including local knowledge gleaned from a formative 2012-13 season spent playing grade cricket in Brisbane.

It proved an eye-opening summer for the left-arm tweaker, who earned a crust as a checkout operator and trolley wrangler during his early days at Somerset's academy before rising up the county's ranks.

Take for example the then 21-year-old's debut for Valleys, which doubled as Usman Khawaja's first game for the club after his own shift to Queensland.

"I was still a bit jetlagged. I remember going out to bat and I don't know who the guy was," Leach told AAP.

"But he just absolutely sprayed me. I probably can't repeat it.

"F-bombs and ... the whole lot. I was in shock a bit, like 'what I have signed up for?'. Club cricket in England is tame in comparision.

"But I mainly just remember the standard of cricket being so good that season. I was the overseas player, but didn't feel like I was necessarily good enough to play first grade.

"I held my own, but it left me realising how far I had to go."

Leach stayed with Phil Saxby, the Taunton connection who helped line up the gig, and sold bats and kit at cricket store Keith Dudgeon.

"I had a great six months," he said.

The fact Leach has already caught up with former teammates, including Valleys stalwart Andrew Gode, to reminiscence about their Twenty20 title and other highlights is a pointer to that fact.

"He's one of the nicest blokes on the planet," Gode said.

"I'll be at the Gabba cheering the Aussies on, but also cheering him. Ideal result is Australia wins and he gets five."

Leach's one not out in Leeds, during a final-wicket stand of 76 runs with Stokes, ensured he received a hero's welcome throughout the rest of that series.

It also made the spinner hungry for more Ashes cricket.

"I just loved being a very small part of it," he said, predicting Australia's batsmen and fans will look to target him in coming weeks.

"I don't think there's a bigger challenge than winning an Ashes series Down Under. That's what we're all very excited about.

"We've definitely come here to win, that's what we'll try to do."

Australian Associated Press