Jack White (cricketer, born 1891)

John Cornish White, known as "Farmer" or "Jack", (19 February 1891 – 2 May 1961) was an English cricketer who played for Somerset and England. White was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1929. He played in 15 Test matches, and captained England in four of them.

Jack White

Personal information
Full name	John Cornish White
Born	(1891-02-19)19 February 1891 Holford, Somerset, England
Died	2 May 1961(1961-05-02) (aged 70) Combe Florey, Somerset, England
Nickname	Farmer
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Slow left-arm orthodox
Role	Bowling all-rounder
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 202)	2 July 1921 v Australia
Last Test	21 February 1931 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1909–1937	Somerset
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 15 472 Runs scored 239 12202 Batting average 18.38 18.40 100s/50s 0/0 6/41 Top score 29 192 Balls bowled 4801 129439 Wickets 49 2355 Bowling average 32.26 18.58 5 wickets in innings 3 193 10 wickets in match 1 58 Best bowling 8/126 10/76 Catches/stumpings 6/0 428/0
Source: Cricinfo, 28 August 2009

Domestic career

A slow left-arm bowler who used accuracy and variation of pace rather than spin to take wickets, he was a regular player for Somerset from 1913 to 1937, taking 100 wickets a season 14 times. In 1929 and 1930 he also scored more than 1,000 runs, completing the "cricketer's double". Among his county records, he took 16 Worcestershire wickets for 83 runs in the match at Bath in 1919. He also took all 10 Worcestershire wickets in an innings for 76 runs in 1921 at Worcester.^[1] His total number of wickets for Somerset, 2,165, is still the county record,^[2] as is his number of catches, 393.^[3] His career total of 2,355 wickets puts him 16th on the all-time list of wicket-takers.^[4] He was captain of Somerset from 1927 to 1931.

His Somerset team-mate R. C. Robertson-Glasgow wrote of White's bowling: "besides the length and direction and the variety of flight, he made the ball 'do a little' each way on the truest pitch without any advertisement from his fingers; and he made the ball bounce high even on a wet slow surface, often hitting the splice or near it with the threat of a catch to himself following up, or to silly-point".^[5]

Test career

White was first picked for England in the difficult 1921 series against the Australians and was not then selected again for seven years. For the tour of Australia in 1928–29, he was vice-captain to Percy Chapman and the main bowler in a series that turned into a successful war of attrition. At Melbourne, he bowled 113 overs and five balls, and at Adelaide he surpassed that, bowling 124 overs and five balls and taking 13 wickets in the match for 256 runs, as England won by just 12 runs. In the final Test of the series, he stood in as captain for the injured Chapman, but lost the Test and so ended England's then-record-equalling run of seven consecutive Test victories.

White captained England again in the series against South Africa in 1929: he won once and drew twice. Further Tests followed against Australia in 1930 and in 1930–31 in South Africa, again as vice-captain to Chapman.

White was a Test selector in 1929 and 1930 and was president of the Somerset club at the time of his death.

References

1. "Worcestershire v Somerset in 1921". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
2. "Most Wickets for Somerset". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
3. "Most Catches in a Career for Somerset". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
4. "First-class matches / Bowling records / Most wickets in career". Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
5. R. C. Robertson-Glasgow, Crusoe on Cricket, Alan Ross, London, 1966, p. 208.

External links

• Jack White at ESPNcricinfo

Sporting positions
Preceded by Percy Chapman	English national cricket captain 1929	Succeeded by Harold Gilligan and Honourable Freddie Calthorpe1
Preceded by John Daniell	Somerset County Cricket Captain 1927–1931	Succeeded by Reggie Ingle