Gareth White

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Gareth Andrew White (Born 28 January 1979, in Whitehaven, Cumbria) is an English cricketer who played professional cricket for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club and currently plays at minor counties level for Cumberland County Cricket Club.

An outstanding junior record at all levels of cricket, setting batting records for Cumbria Schools Cricket Association from Under 13 level right the way through to Under 19 level. This consistency in performance paved the way to representing the North of England Schools at both Under 14 and Under 19 levels. Neither of these forays were particularly productive and the youngster often found himself batting in the lower order behind youngsters from Lancashire and Yorkshire, two of the more fashionable northern counties.

After becoming the youngest player to score a century in the Cumbria Cricket League at 15 for his home town team Cockermouth, White made the move to the Northern League with Netherfield at 17 and in his second season, became the youngest ever centurion in that league, scoring 115 not out against Blackpool at Parkside Road. In the Blackpool ranks that day was Heath Davis, who Ian Botham described as "the fastest bowler in the world", in the mid 1990's. This unbeaten century was pivotal as the Kendal club won their first ever Northern League title that season.

As a result of these performances for both club and county, he represented Leicestershire County Cricket Club Second XI in two August fixtures 'v' Northamptonshire County Cricket Club Second XI at Grace Road and Lancashire County Cricket Club Second XI at Old Trafford.

At the end of the 1997 season, White was signed by Ashwood CC in the Eastern Suburbs Cricket Association of Melbourne, to become their overseas player for the 1997 / 1998 season. He performed well for an 18 year-old rookie in the tough Australian environment and returned to the UK a tougher comptitor and better all-round cricketer for pre-season with Leicestershire County Cricket Club. A stay which was cut short.

Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, after being impressed with the youngster the previous year, made White a one-year contract offer in the April 1998 and the 19 year-old batsman signed for the Tudor Rose county for the season. He made his Second XI Championship debut in the win at Worcester, scoring 49 and AON Risk trophy debut soon after, with a high score of 58 v The Minor Counties Under 25's at East Runcton in that competition. Two centuries followed, one against The RAF at Uxbridge's Vine Lane and another v Wellingborough for the Northamptonshire Colts and the Second XI completed the 'double', winning the Championship and AON Risk Trophy. Tipped to make his first-class debut, White was named 12th man v Yorkshire at Wantage Road, but never got another top team opportunity and despite averaging over 30 in both forms of the game in his rookie year, White was released from the full-time staff at the end of the 1998 season.

Alongside coaching and playing, White attended University and graduated with a 2:1 BA (Hons) in Business and Management Studies with ICT from St. Martin's College, Lancaster in 2002.

White continues to be a good performer outside of the top level, and has scored two minor counties centuries in only 8 games, a representation that will always be low due to teaching commitments, firstly 139 v Buckinghamshire at Barrow in 2002 and 110 v Northumberland at Jesmond in 2006.

He returned for a second stint at Netherfield in 2003 after spells as Club Professional at home town club Cockermouth in 2001 and at Keswick in 2002, and stayed for three seasons as wicket-keeper / batsman, scoring three more centuries, inlcuding 159no v Leyland in 2004. His final Netherfield season was blighted by a snapped hamstring injury.

In 2006, White returned to Cockermouth following double knee surgery in the January and although obviously not performing at his best, was a key member in the team's North Lancashire and Cumbria Cricket League Premier Division Championship win that season. In 2007, White was named as Captain of his beloved home town club.