Shropshire County Cricket Club have strengthened their squad ahead of the 2016 season by signing former Derbyshire and Yorkshire left-arm spinner David Wainwright.
The experienced Wainwright, 30, also a useful batsman with three first-class centuries to his name, said he’s looking forward to a new challenge and working once again with Karl Krikken, Shropshire’s Director of Cricket.
Wainwright enjoyed the most successful season of his career under Krikken, the former Derbyshire coach, when he helped the club win the second division of the County Championship in 2012, a productive campaign in which the Shropshire new boy took 50 wickets.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Wainwright. “Karl took me to Derbyshire so I’ve enjoyed working with him before. After I left Derby he was the first person to get in touch, so after I spoke to him it was a bit of a no-brainer to sign for Shropshire.
“There’s a few net sessions planned for after Christmas and I’m looking forward to coming down and meeting the Shropshire lads.”
Wainwright spent four seasons at Derbyshire, playing 43 first-class fixtures for the county and taking 95 wickets including career-best figures of 6-33 against Northamptonshire.
He also appeared in 26 List A fixtures and 21 Twenty20 games for the club, claiming 39 wickets across the two formats.
Wainwright started his career with Yorkshire, his home county, and made three appearances for England Lions in 2010 during his time at Headingley.
He is also renowned for contributing useful runs down the order with a career-best score of 109 for Derbyshire against Leicestershire in 2014.
He also cracked two first-class centuries for Yorkshire, away to Sussex, and against Warwickshire at Scarborough.
He added he was pleased to add his experience to Shropshire’s young squad and is keen to help the development of the county’s up and coming players.
He hopes to bowl plenty of overs and is happy to fit in wherever required in the batting order.
“I’m fairly flexible,” said Wainwright, whose final first team appearance for Derbyshire was against the Australian tourists in July. “If I’m needed to add some experience in the middle order I’ll be happy to provide that.”
Shropshire are delighted to have recruited Wainwright following the departures of two of the mainstays of their bowling attack with seamer Ben Sanderson and spinner Gurman Randhawa, two men Wainwright knows well from their days together at Yorkshire, sealing returns to the first-class game.
Randhawa has joined Durham and Sanderson is set to sign for Northamptonshire.
“We’re delighted to secure David’s services,” said Shropshire chairman Toby Shaw. “He comes with a lot of pedigree, both with his bowling and batting, and I think he will bring a professionalism and solidity to the middle order.
“Steve Leach, our new captain, is very pleased about it and it will be nice to have David in the side to guide the younger players with his experience.”
Shropshire finished third in the Western Division of the Unicorns Championship last season.
Stuart Dunn
Picture: Shropshire’s new signing David Wainwright. Picture by kind permission of Derby Telegraph.