Yet the answer to one of Derbyshire's problems may lie closer to home.The player is Wayne White.
In my opinion, White should never have been released by Derbyshire. Instead we have seen a lad who was a useful bowler and knew how to handle a bat blossom into a genuine all-rounder at our neighbours. He has only one century so far (against us...) but has a number of fifties. This year he had nearly 700 runs at 32 and 28 wickets at 35. Not spectacular, but improving, as he has done every season. He also did well in one-day matches and proved an important player for his county as they won the T20.
That being the case, why would he leave Leicestershire? Well, they have yet to finalise deals for White, Nadeem Malik and Matt Boyce, while conjecture suggests that James Taylor may yet be lured to Warwickshire. Such key players would take some replacing and Leicestershire will struggle to do so. Aside from the T20 silverware and some talented young players, the Foxes are an aging side in key areas and this might be a good time to lure White back to the ancestral home. They were, after all, bottom of division two by a country mile.
His brother is on the county Academy and he has plenty of friends at the club, many of them from Swarkestone, the club where he made his name. He would be an important addition too, offering us balance in the middle order at six or seven. White, Whiteley and Clare would be a good engine room. In addition, White is one of our own and therefore any appearance money for him, even at 26, will be ours.
It all adds up to a signing that makes a lot of sense on every level.
As always, I look forward to seeing your opinions...
Yes, White can give it a crack with the bat, his bowling is steady and he has matured as a cricketer but I'm not so sure as we have already got Clare and Whiteley.
ReplyDeleteIf we are looking at an all rounder I hope that you noticed that Will Gidman scored over 1,000 championship runs and took over 50 wickets in his first season! Apparently the last English player to to this was David Capel about 20odd years ago.
Can't we make an enquiry for Will Gidman?
Ben
I agree we made an error of judgement letting him go,but i,m not entirely convinced he would improve us a great deal. His stats appear awfully similar to bloke named Smith who we,ve just got rid of. I think White is an improvement on Smith but is he a big enough improvement to warrant signing him.I suppose he would add strenght to the seam department and if he was seen as a number seven or eight then there might be some merit in it.
ReplyDeleteNo Ben, we can't. He's under contract for a second year next season and that is effectively that. I know what Warwickshire did with James Taylor, but for me it is wrong and contracts should be honoured by all parties.
ReplyDeleteMarc, White is not in the same class as Smith!
ReplyDeletePeakfan, if the brilliant Taylor is leaving the Foxes why not make him our 'Landmark' signing? He may be interested at £180k a year and the captaincy!
Ben
I take it that's a joke Ben...
ReplyDeleteCan't see Leicestershire letting White fall out of contract,Having just lost Gurney and Hoggard getting no younger his leaving would leave them woefully short in the pace department
ReplyDeleteDonny Scorpion