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In profile: David Wainwright

David-Wainwright-picture1
Full name: David John Wainwright.
 
Birthplace/date: Pontefract, March 21, 1985.
Clubs you have played for? Castleford CC, Yorkshire CCC, Derbyshire CCC, Shropshire CCC.
 
Biggest influences on your career? My parents. They still enjoy watching me now. They’ve already been to two or three Shropshire games. I’ve got them to thank for that. There’s a lot of coaches I could name and if I was going to name one it would be Jack Birkenshaw. Karl Krikken got me in touch with him over the winter to do some work and I also did some work with him at Derby and Yorkshire. He’s always been my spin coach throughout my first-class career really and always rings me up to see how I’m getting on.
 
Best player you have played alongside? Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies batsman, at Derbyshire. When I played against him for Yorkshire he played a good knock at Headingley against me. I felt like I needed an extra fielder!
To get the chance from playing against him to playing with him and see it at first hand and be on the right side of it was very good to see, how he just manipulated the field. His work ethic was also second to none in the nets.
 
Best player you have played against? MS Dhoni, the former India captain. I had watched him a lot on TV, seeing how calm and relaxed he was behind the stumps and how he finished games off. To get the chance to play against him, for Derbyshire against the touring Indian side, was great.
I managed to get him out. It just says bowled in the book, but it doesn’t tell you that he was trying to smash it out of the ground and I was bowling into the rough.
 
Favourite grounds? Saville Park, Castleford. It’s a really nice ground and Yorkshire’s second team used to play there. It’s always been my home where I’ve played cricket, so that’s the number one on my list. Scarborough’s special because I scored a century for Yorkshire there and Castleford play games there, so I always enjoy going to Scarborough.
As for county grounds, probably Hove, Sussex by the sea. It’s always been nice when I’ve played down there, good weather, a spinning pitch as well which is why it’s been good for me and I’ve had such success there.
 
What have been your cricketing highlights? Scoring a century at Scarborough for Yorkshire against Warwickshire. That was my second century for Yorkshire but it was special because my parents and my uncle and auntie missed my first one with it being at Sussex. For them to be there at Scarborough and see me do that for Yorkshire was special.
 
What do you enjoy most about playing for Shropshire? I’ve settled in well with the team. I came down five or six times over the winter so got to know a few of the lads which has made it an easy transition really to the season. Lads I didn’t see in the winter like Richie Oliver and Alex Wyatt, they’ve settled in well. It seems like a close knit set of lads and we’re enjoying our cricket. We’re looking forward to the three-day competition starting.
 
Hopes for the season? Perform well for Castleford and help contribute to success at Shropshire.
 
Long-term cricketing ambitions? Get back into county cricket.
 
Favourite other sports? Football. I grew up supporting Liverpool. My dad didn’t really follow a team and I just picked up Liverpool.
                                                                                                                                                                                       Stuart Dunn