[8] At board level, the existing Anglo-Siberian group was reconfigured as the Perm Corporation, including Sir Frederick Frankland of East Russian mines and the civil engineer Thomas Blair Reynolds (1860–1941), as well as Leslie and Urquhart.

The Fenchurch group of investors were excluded from further developments by Urquhart, who had joined forces with American interests, for whom Alfred Chester Beatty and Herbert Hoover were acting.

His performances won him selection for the Honourable Ivo Bligh's tour side to Australia in 1882/3 where he was part of the team that regained the Ashes.

The first three matches were played against Billy Murdoch's 1882 touring team and counted for the Ashes; Leslie did not take a wicket in the last two of those Tests.

The urn was not at stake for the fourth match played against a combined Australian side when Leslie took one first innings wicket.

Leslie represented Middlesex from 1881 to 1886 and in 48 first-class matches in total scored 1860 runs at 22.96 with his 144 for Bligh's XI against New South Wales the highest of his four hundreds.