Head coach John Sadler hails Jack White's 'success story' as bowler signs new deal

​Head coach John Sadler has hailed the 'success story' of Jack White after the seam bowler signed a new one-year contract extension at Northants.

The 31-year-old has put pen to paper on a new deal at the County Ground that will see him stay with the Tudor Rose until at least the end of the 2025 campaign.

The contract was reward for a fantastic season from the Kendal-born bowler, who topped the club's wicket-taking charts in the LV= Insurance County Championship Division One campaign in 2023.

The durable White played in all 14 matches for Northants last summer, claiming 50 wickets at 25.58 apiece, and snaring three five-wicket hauls along the way.

That took the right-armer's overall first-class wicket tally up to 105 wickets from 31 matches, with White having not made his senior debut until he was aged 28 in the summer of 2020.

Up until that point, White had played minor counties cricket for both Cumberland and Cheshire, and was then talent-spotted by Northants while playing Grade cricket in Australia.

White was invited by then head coach David Ripley to trial with the club in 2019, but injury prevented him playing, and he had to wait until the following Covid-hit season to make his Northants and first-class debut in the Bob Willis Trophy.

He claimed 13 wickets in his first four matches which was enough to secure a contract, and White has gone on to become one of the key performers in the Northants red ball and 50-over line-ups.

His re-signing is a real boost for Sadler, who admits the prospect of White and Ben Sanderson leading the attack as the club bid to win promotion from division two next season is 'extremely exciting'.

“We’re delighted to have Jack further extend his existing contract even further,” said Sadler.

“He’s worked incredibly hard over recent seasons to become the bowler he now is, and we will no doubt see the best of him in the coming seasons.

“He’s someone who has had to do it the hard way, he got noticed in the leagues, and came into the professional game at a later stage of his development.

“Through hard work and dedication to his craft, he has become one of the leading seam bowlers in the country.

“His journey is a real success story and the thought of him and Ben Sanderson opening the bowling together next season is an extremely exciting prospect.”

White will be on his travels again this winter to keep ticking over, and admits that although he has proved himself at the highest level of English cricket, he believes there is still more to come.

“I’m heading over to New Zealand again like last winter so I can keep bowling in games," said White.

“I have plenty of things to work on bowling and fitness wise, and feel like I can still improve my game a lot.”

White joins the likes of David Willey and Rob Keogh in committing his longer-term future to Northants, with other players contracted beyond the end of the 2024 campaign including Saif Zaib, Ben Sanderson and James Sales.