John Whitehouse (cricketer)
John Whitehouse (born 8 April 1949 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire) is a former English cricketer who played for Warwickshire from 1971 to 1980. A right-handed batsman who could also bowl off-spin, he captained Warwickshire in 1978 and 1979.
He rose to prominence on debut in May 1971, scoring 173 and 38 not out against Oxford University. That season he piled up 1,295 runs at 38.08 and was named Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year. After a slower spell in 1972–73, he took a year off in 1974 to focus on accountancy before returning in 1975 with strong form and good slip fielding (24 catches in 16 matches).
Whitehouse’s best years came in 1976 and 1977. In 1976 he scored 1,363 runs at 35.86 and hit two centuries, including an unbeaten 169 against Yorkshire and a notable 266-run fourth-wicket partnership with Rohan Kanhai in a match versus Yorkshire. He also made his only List A century that year, 109 against Glamorgan. In 1977 he reached 1,543 runs at 42.86 with six centuries. At the end of 1977 he was appointed Warwickshire captain.
His captaincy era coincided with disruption caused by World Series Cricket. In 1978 and 1979 his batting form dipped, and he did not score 1,000 runs in either season. He stepped down after 1979 and had a return to form in 1980, including a defining moment when he made 197 in the second innings to beat Glamorgan, surpassing his debut score of 173.
Whitehouse retired from first-class and List A cricket at the end of the 1980 season. After retiring, he pursued a successful business career and later returned to Warwickshire as honorary treasurer, resigning in 2000 due to disillusionment with cricket.
Career highlights and stats:
- First-class: 180 matches, 8,693 runs at 32.07, 15 centuries, top score 197; 120 catches
- List A: 144 matches, 3,106 runs at 24.65, 1 century, top score 109; 42 catches
- Notable moments: Debut 173 vs Oxford University (1971); two centuries in 1975–16 matches; 197 and a record 266-run partnership with Rohan Kanhai in 1976; List A century 109 vs Glamorgan (1976)
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:05 (CET).