Graham Whyte

Graham Whyte

Cricket information
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off-spin
Career statistics
Competition First-class List A Matches 44 9 Runs scored 1,033 58 Batting average 18.12 14.5 100s/50s 0/5 0/0 Top score 93 14 Balls bowled 6,752 204 Wickets 73 1 Bowling average 38.87 146 5 wickets in innings 1 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 Best bowling 6/65 1/36 Catches/stumpings 31/– 5/–
Source: CricInfo, 21 April 2023

Graham Keith Whyte (born 29 March 1952) was a Queensland cricketer in the 1970s and 1980s. He was primarily an off-spinner although also a useful lower-order batsman. During World Series Cricket Whyte was occasionally spoken of as a possible Test candidate.[1]

Career

Whyte made his first class debut in 1974–75. He took three wickets against the touring MCC side bowling in tandem with Malcolm Francke.[2]

Whyte appeared more regularly for Queensland in 1976-77. That summer he took 6–65 against WA.[3][4] He took 14 wickets overall at an average of 35.

During the season Whyte played several games alongside Viv Richards who wrote in his memoirs that Whyte "was a real character... He would stand there and say, ‘Come on, Thommo [Jeff Thomson], rip the fucker up him. . . Fucking give him plenty ... Hurt the fucker.’ But his batting was as limited as his vocabulary. When it was his turn and there was some pace about, the same guy who gave all that crap suddenly went deathly quiet... Out there he had all that chat, but when it came to it he displayed cowardice, and there are a lot like that in Shield cricket, good talkers when they are in the field but when they come in to bat it’s a different story."[5]

After Australia's leading spinners Ray Bright and Kerry O'Keefe joined World Series Cricket in 1977, some observers such as Greg Chappell and Ray Robinson suggested Whyte may be selected for Australia.[6] [7]

Whyte had a very good season in 1977–78, taking 25 wickets at 32.48. However the Australian selectors preferred Tony Mann, Jim Higgs and Bruce Yardley. Whyte's omission from the 1978 tour to West Indies was publicly criticsed by Queensland coach Ken Mackay.[8]

Whyte only took three first class wickets the following summer and did not play first class cricket from March 1979 to October 1983.

However he was recalled to the Queensland time in October 1983, by which stage he was captain-coach of Queensland Colts.[9] He took 20 wickets at 40.80 that summer. Whyte played in the 1983-84 Shield final.[10]

Whyte played two more first class games in 1984–85.

References

1. "Dyson's dour 103 thwarts Victoria". The Canberra Times. 30 November 1977. p. 40. Retrieved 12 December 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
2. "Match weakened by absence of Test men". The Canberra Times. Vol. 49, no. 13, 937. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 13 December 1974. p. 20. Retrieved 6 December 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "Philipson Turns in Record Performance". Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
4. "The Home of CricketArchive".
5. Richards, Viv (2001). Sir Vivian : the definitive autobiography. Penguin. p. 120.
6. Chappell, Greg (1977). The Ashes '77. Angus and Robertson. p. 189-190.
7. "Much talent remains for Australia". The Sydney Sun Herald. 23 October 1977. p. 74.
8. "Q'ld coach lashes Aust selectors". Papua New Guinea Post-courier. International, Australia. 23 January 1978. p. 18. Retrieved 6 December 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
9. "Queensland recall Whyte". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 October 1983. p. 29.
10. 1983-84 Sheffield Shield final at Cricinfo

External links

• Graham Whyte at ESPNcricinfo