Chris Waters: Underrated Wainwright set to fight for brighter future

In fact, I would go further.

I would say we have yet to see the best of him and that, at 26, he has the ability to be a top county player for the next decade.

Wainwright, however, remains unfulfilled.

Since making his County Championship debut for Yorkshire in 2004, he has made only 20 Championship appearances in six-and-a-half seasons. He has played just 33 first-class games – a figure swelled by his involvement with Loughborough University and British Universities.

He has played only one Championship match for Yorkshire this summer, against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, and is now surplus to requirements at Headingley Carnegie.

Yorkshire, of course, have an abundance of spin bowling riches.

Adil Rashid is their No.1 spinner in all forms of the game, while Azeem Rafiq – himself just back from a month’s loan at Derbyshire – is currently preferred to Wainwright in Twenty20 cricket.

There are only so many places in the side and only so many vacancies for a clutch of talented spinners, with such as Gurman Randhawa also working towards a first-team place.

Yorkshire have decided to let Wainwright go to the East Midlands in search of greater first-team chances.

My own view, however, is there is a strong case for playing Rashid, Rafiq and Wainwright in most Twenty20 matches.

The trio have appeared together only once this season – all performing splendidly in admittedly favourable conditions in a T20 Roses win at Old Trafford.

Yorkshire batsman Joe Root can bowl off-spin, so the three spinners options remains.

But Wainwright has a good T20 record – 20 wickets in 22 games at 23.10 – and offers variety.

However, it has to be acknowledged Wainwright has not made the impact he would have liked this summer and it is hoped his loan move will benefit all parties.

Indeed, his career has stalled somewhat since he was picked in the ECB Performance Programme and England Lions squads for the tours of South Africa and the United Arab Emirates in 2009-2010.

Wainwright was not the same after returning from England’s clutches (who is?) and he developed injury problems.

Yorkshire have worked hard to put things right but it has been a slow process.

At the same time, I cannot help but feel Yorkshire should have played Wainwright a lot more over the past seven summers – particularly in the Championship.

When he has appeared, he has produced some key contributions – notably against Sussex at Hove in 2008, when his unbeaten 104 from the No 10 position helped Yorkshire from 80-6 to 400-9 declared and played a big part in keeping them in the First Division.

His unbeaten 85 and nine-wicket haul also played a major part in a vital win in the corresponding game the following year, when Yorkshire also narrowly avoided relegation.

Indeed, Wainwright has always struck me as the sort of chap who is made of the right stuff.

His record of 77 first-class wickets at 35.61 may not shake the earth’s foundations but he is an undervalued batsman (1,010 first-class runs at 34.82), a capable fielder and possesses an excellent attitude.

Wainwright is a fighter, the sort of bloke who never goes missing when the chips are down.

He is also modest and self-assuming; there is no trace of arrogance about him.

I sincerely hope his loan spell works out and that he goes on to enjoy a brighter future.

I also sincerely hope that future is at Yorkshire.