Shock White

Who is Shock White?

Shock White was a noted English cricketer of the mid-18th century who played for Middlesex. He has often been mistaken for Thomas "Daddy" White but there is no doubt at all that he was a different player altogether. His first name and the source of his nickname are unknown. He lived in Brentford and was a member of the local club.

Shock White is first mentioned in the Whitehall Evening Post on Saturday, 26 September 1761. In the Chertsey v Hampton game at Laleham Burway on the following Monday, Hampton were to have Charles Sears, John Haynes and Shock White as given men.

Shock White has often been described as the culprit in the Monster Bat Incident 1771 but it has been conclusively proved that the wide bat was used by his namesake Thomas White of Reigate. Shock White was twice mentioned by the Daily Advertiser in 1773 as "Shock White of Brentford". Furthermore, while Shock White played at Tothill Fields for Westminster versus London on Wednesday, 18 August 1773, Thomas White was simultaneously playing for Surrey v Kent at Sevenoaks Vine.

There are no statistics for Shock White's career and all that is definitely known of him is that he was active between 1761 and 1773.