Bespectacled England hero Jack Leach offered free glasses for life by Specsavers

The tailender was seen wiping his eyewear during the final throes of battle against Australia as he and Ben Stokes clinched victory in the thrilling third Ashes Test

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  Jack Leach cleans his glasses as he and England's Ben Stokes speak during a break in play. AFP

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  Jack Leach adjusts his glasses. Action Images via Reuters

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  Jack Leach evades being run out as Nathan Lyon fumbles the ball. Getty Images

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  Jack Leach gets right behind the ball as England close in on victory. Getty Images

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  Ben Stokes and Jack Leach celebrate. Getty Images

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  Ben Stokes with Jack Leach after hitting the winning runs. Getty Images

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  Ben Stokes and Jack Leach react after England won the third Ashes Test. AFP

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  Jack Leach gives Ben Stokes a pat after he scored the winning runs. Getty Images

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  Jack Leach celebrates with Jos Buttler. Getty Images

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  Ben Stokes and Jack Leach of England celebrate victory. Getty Images

Ben Stokes will rightly be remembered as the man who won England the third Ashes Test at Headingley having produced one of, if not the greatest innings of all time.

But in those tense final moments, it required another tower of strength at the opposite end, in this case the bespectacled No 11 Jack Leach.

The left-arm spinner had already shown he could bat in this preceding series before the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, scoring 92 as nightwatchman in the one-off Test against Ireland. On Sunday, it was a very different situation as he was simply required to survive.

One of the defining images of the drama which played out during the final hour of play in Leeds was Leach taking off his gloves and helmet to give his glasses a good clean.

And the opportunity to jump on the marketing bandwagon wasn't missed by the British optical company Specsavers, which is sponsoring the series.

The company set the ball rolling on social media with a tweet requesting information on Leach's agent, joking that it was "asking for a friend".

Century-hero Stokes then joined in, saying that Leach deserved free glasses for life after the vital role he played, despite scoring just one run in a last-wicket partnership of 76. England bowler Stuart Broad got involved, saying free cleaning cloths should be offered too.

Specsavers responded by confirming that Leach will now be sorted for glasses for the rest of his life.

England fans were full of praise for their new cult hero, with some suggesting it was a very British act to be cleaning one's glasses in such a high-pressure situation.