“I’ve been playing cricket since I was 12 and I just love the game,” he said.

“Coaching was my way of putting something back into a sport that I love.”

Leith played predominantly as an opening batsman and a wicket-keeper for Donald.

Off the field, he is a past president and vice-president of the Wimmera-Mallee Cricket Association.

He has also represented the association as a delegate of the Western Waves region.

“I’ve been a delegate for almost as long as I’ve been coaching,” he said.

Before he retired from playing only recently, Leith said he always enjoyed coming up against players he had spent time coaching.

“You teach the kids then all of a sudden you are playing with or against them on a Saturday,” he said.

“There would be a bit of banter flying about at that point and it was all really good fun.

“I actually tell them to do what I tell them to do, but just not against my side.”

An annual pre-season camp for junior cricketers in the region has continued to grow into something he is particularly proud of.

“I set up the camp in Donald seven or eight years ago and that’s the main thing I’m keen to keep going,” Leith said.

“We have kids coming from St Arnaud, Charlton, Wycheproof and Hopetoun … it’s such a large area. They sleep overnight and go through all the different aspects of cricket.”

The camp is now also well supported by the Western Waves, who help bring outside coaches to the region.

Leith has worked alongside regional managers Stephen Field and Tony Caccaviello to continue to make the camp bigger and better.

“I’ve really enjoyed putting my time into that each year,” Leith said.

Country week is another time of year that brings Leith enjoyment.

This year he travelled to Warrnambool to guide the under-17 side.

Under his guidance the team was awarded the spirit of cricket award for the second successive season.

“I’ve said a little bit that it might have been my last country week,” he said.

“We’ll see how we go when we get to this point next season.”

At the end of the day, Leith said looking at cricket scorecards in Monday’s newspaper was one of the most rewarding aspects of coaching.

“When you see a young bloke you coached a number of years ago make 50 or 100 or take some wickets you sit back and think, ‘I might have had something to do with that’,” he said.

He and wife Gayle are both heavily involved in sport.

“I’m a netball widow in winter and Gayle becomes a cricket widow in summer," he said.

“You can build up lifelong relationships in cricket.

“It can be an individual sport at times but the team aspect is so vital to the game.”