No grey in White
Will
25-Feb-2013
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Opinion remains divided surrounding Cameron White. A superb summer at Somerset, whom he captained in place of the injured Ian Blackwell, he retained captaincy of his Victoria for the forthcoming season. But while his captaincy credentials are not in doubt, his allround game is; of his two facets, it is his batting which has most developed, argues Lyall Johnson in The Age
White's season with Somerset also confused the argument as to where he should bat in the order. White himself is happy to bat wherever is best for team balance, but clearly enjoyed coming in at No. 5 for Somerset and No. 3 in the limited-overs matches. He has batted mainly at No. 6 and No. 7 in four-day cricket in Victoria and numerous spots in one-day matches. Last season, he batted at No. 6 in the Pura Cup, with Jon Moss shifted back to No. 7. White's numbers with the ball for Somerset weren't quite as impressive. He grabbed only 15 wickets at an average of 48.20 in the four-day format and eight wickets at 28.50 in one-day games.
Because White is not possessed of a massive leg break, many batsmen in four-day competitions play him as they would a medium pacer, driving him off the front foot because they're unafraid of being beaten off the deck.