Huge blow for Northants as pace bowler Jack White quits to sign for Yorkshire

The 32-year-old has triggered a clause in his County Ground contract that allowed him to negotiate an early move to a team playing in division one.

Following Yorkshire's promotion from division two in September, they have swooped and persuaded pace bowler White to switch Wantage Road for Headingley.

A Northants club statement read: "Having done everything to try to keep Jack and with the hope that he would remain as a Northamptonshire player, the club are naturally disappointed that he doesn’t see his future with us.

"But we would like to wish him well for the future."

The County will feel especially disappointed as the club gave White the chance to play first-class cricket after spotting him while playing Grade circket in Australia at the age of 27.

He had also been playing minor counties cricket for Cheshire and Cumberland.

White initially signed for Northants ahead of the 2019 season, but was denied any first team appearances due to injury.

Then head coach David Ripley kept faith with the player though, and offered him a new deal for 2020 - only for the Covid-19 pandemic to strike.

For a while it seemed as though White would have another summer of inactivity, but the ECB did manage to get a shortened season underway.

That gave White a batch of Bob Willis Trophy matches to show what he is all about in the first-class arena, and the Kendal-born player took his chance.

White claimed 13 wickets in four games, with best figures of four for 35 and an average of 20, and he finished as the club's leading wicket-taker in the competition.

Those stats and his performances were more than enough to persuade Ripley to offer the bowler a new deal, and he has gone on to be a key performer for the County

White took 50 wickets in the 2023 County Championship, and overall has claimed 114 wickets for Northants at an average of 25.18.

His 2024 campaign was blighted by injury, as he played only four first-class matches.

His last appearance in a Northants shirt was at Headingley against Yorkshire in September.

Northamptonshire chief executive Ray Payne said: "While it is a real shame that Jack has decided to move elsewhere, everyone would like to thank him for his efforts in a Northamptonshire shirt.

"We wish him the best moving forward.”

White will team up with former Northants head coach John Sadler at Yorkshire. Sadler has taken up the role of batting coach with the White Rose following his sacking from the County Ground in September.