Graeme White has extended his white-ball contract with Northamptonshire until the end of the 2020 season.

White was the Steelbacks’ second highest wicket taker in the 2019 Vitality Blast, having missed the Royal London One Day Cup through injury.

“I’ve been associated with Northamptonshire for a long time so to continue playing here is a dream.” White said.

“Last year coming back off surgery it didn’t feel quite the same, but this year it’s felt like it was before I had my shoulder done and I think that’s shown in my performances. Being able to vary my pace again and having that real feel of having my bowling back. It’s been really positive for me, being able to go back out on the field and feel confident to bowl how I really want to bowl.”

When not playing for the Steelbacks, White acts as captain/coach for the club’s second eleven and Assistant First Team Coach Phil Rowe believes White’s impact is felt both on and off the field around The County Ground.

“Graeme’s contract extension is very good news and I know it will be well received by the squad and our members.” Rowe said.

“His white ball experience, skills and competitiveness make us a stronger white ball unit on the field but his contribution off the field is also important. He works extremely hard to help the younger players and sets high standards in everything he does. He brings a lot to our group and we are delighted to have him fit and firing for another season.”

Though known for his bowling, White is a useful lower order batsman and says this is an area of his game he’s looking to improve further.

“The older I get, I’m always trying to develop and get better and improve in areas and batting is one of them. If I get that opportunity to come in I’ve got to have that ability to score quickly and have my areas to score. In T20 you don’t get any balls to have a look so you’ve just got to be backing yourself and be confident in your ability to play all around the wicket.”

The Steelbacks failed to qualify in either white-ball competition in 2019, though White believes the future is bright for the club in the shorter forms.

“With the squad we’ve got, moving forward I think there’s definitely opportunities for us to really be pushing in the short format and I’m hoping to be a really big part of that.”