Chalky keen to build on success

Date: Wednesday 14 April 2010

Beating your Leicestershire best efforts with both bat and ball is the ultimate way to start a new season.

That was exactly what happened to Wayne White against Northamptonshire, as the talented all-rounder exceeded the 68 he made against Glamorgan last season and the 3-91 he took against Kent.

White’s 89 helped to take the game away from Northants during a stand of 139 with Tom New (82) and he then took 4-58 in their second innings, including the key wickets of Mal Loye, Rob White and Nicky Boje.

The bowling performance led him to be described as ‘vigorous’ in the Guardian, which was a good word to sum up his efforts.

After impressing with the bat earlier in the game, White, known at Grace Road as ‘Chalky’, really tore in throughout Sunday and generated good pace and bounce with controlled aggression.

White still sees himself as a bowler first and batsman second, but he looked every part a batter during the match; one particular cover drive was a contender for shot of the game.

He clearly relished the roles given to him by the management. White was pleased to start well both individually and collectively and hopes to continue that work now.

He said: “It was a brilliant win for us. It was a really good team effort. We has a bit of a shock on the final morning losing wickets but I think we deserved to win over the four days.

“We worked hard to get ourselves into a good position and it wasn’t easy on the last day. But we practiced specific match situations over the winter -like a difficult situation last day.

“They had nothing to lose and they came hard for half an hour but we saw it off. Cobby (Josh Cobb) and Newy (Tom New) did the right things and we got home.

“Personally, as for the bowling, as a group last year Dipps (Boeta Dippenaar) discussed about going for 2.8 an over. The coaches have realised that isn’t going to be my role.

“They want me to run in and bowl quickly. Sunday was a real highlights package – it was either four or a wicket!

“I’m keen to try to get the run rate down but the captain likes me to run in for four or five over spells and give it everything. On Sunday I broke a few partnerships and got a few decent players out, which was nice.

“It probably wasn’t the best I’ve bowled – Bucky (Nathan Buck) bowled really well all weekend and he deserved the four or five wickets – but that’s how it goes over the season.

“On another day I’ll get 0-100 and he’ll get a five-for! I’ve got a lot of work to do with it and hopefully there’s more to come.”

Chalky also demonstrated his capabilities with the bat by top-scoring at number seven, which is a position he is unaccustomed to.

He showed plenty of potential last season and played a number of eye-catching innings as the season developed. Now, after a hard winter’s work, it looks as though everything is coming together nicely.

“I had a sit down with Matthew Hoggard and Tim Boon the other day and they said you’re perhaps batting one high at seven but we want you to give it your best shot,” he said.

“I felt a little but of pressure batting at seven because as I said, it is probably one too high, but I’ve scored the runs I needed to.

“Over the winter, Tim has been cranking the bowling machines up and having it around our earholes all winter and I feel that I’m a little bit more organised.

“Last year I was a little bit loose but I’ve tightened my batting up. I was confident enough to play my shots and it was a little bit of a counter-attack in the last session on the first day and it swayed it towards us. I’m really happy with it.

“We were in a difficult situation at 198-5 which could easily have been 280-odd all out. But once we got in, Newy and I decided to go for our shots because we both felt decent and we got ourselves a good total on there.”

White knows there’s competition for places at Grace Road but rather than add to the worries of performing, that seems to have aided the 24-year-old.

“James Benning is not far away and he’s a good batsman who bowls well and Andrew McDonald is going to be a serious player for us.

“I think the batting gave me a headway into the side for this game but I still think that bowling is my strongest suit and that is what I need to work at. The runs are a bonus.

“The county season is a massive squad effort and last year we were deprived of bowlers. We were putting sides out rather than having options in every position.

“But we have Nads (Nadeem Malik) bowling well, Cliffy (Sam Cliff) bowling well and Harry (Gurney) coming back and there’s a second game starting this week so people will be pressing hard for a game.

"It’ll keep everyone on their toes and the key to a successful season is everyone pushing each other. If people are scoring hundreds and taking five-fors then you have to watch your back! It’s good.

“We have a good buzz about us. I know everyone says they have a good buzz early season but we genuinely want to do well and have a good season and we are all competing for places.”

The challenge now? To perform well in the next game, which just so happens to be against White’s old boys Derbyshire!

As a lad born in the city, it’d be nice for him to go back and do well. If he could get his old pal Chris Rogers out – who made the small matter of 340 runs in their win at Surrey in being dismissed just the once – that would be an ideal return!

“Hopefully my form will carry on into the next game,” he said. “I’m good mates with Bucky (Chris Rogers), I spent some time with him at Derbyshire and in Melbourne and he’s an unbelievable player. For him to only have one test match for Australia is unbelievable.

“I got him out last year; I’m not sure he has any weaknesses though! He’s hitting the ball very well.

“It’ll be good to play against some old boys – I still have a bit to prove to some of the lads at Derby and hopefully I can carry my form into the game.”