IS Gray all set to become another shade of White in the Yorkshire line-up over the next few years?

Certainly captain David Byas thinks so because he believes that Australian Andy Gray has the potential to develop many of the outstanding all-round qualities that are to be found in Craig White.

Eyebrows were raised in early July when Australian-born Gray was drafted straight into the first team from Yorkshire League cricket with Scarborough.

It was suggested that the off-spinner-batsman was being given his surprise chance too soon and that he should have joined the queue behind contracted slow bowlers James Middlebrook and Ian Fisher who face a constant struggle to make it into the side.

Gray, who also played for Wilberfoss in the York and District Senior Cricket League a few years ago, made an inauspicious Championship debut against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road when he failed to score and managed only a couple wickets in the second innings when he was probably allowed to bowl too long.

In the Norwich Union League game which followed he bowled only one ball - which was slammed for four to win the match for Steelbacks.

Despite this less than ordinary introduction to Yorkshire first team cricket by Gray, it was obvious that Byas and Australian-born coach Wayne Clark still thought that he had plenty to offer.

"I can't say I have seen him score many runs yet but the way he holds the bat in the nets tells me there is a lot of Craig White about him," said Byas. "He is also a very promising off-spinner and I think he has got the same competitive attitude to cricket that Craig has."

Gray's next chance came in this week's day-night match against Nottinghamshire Outlaws at Trent Bridge and his talent was far more obvious in this game.

He bowled his nine overs very accurately and was rewarded with the prize wicket of fellow countryman Greg Blewett who was deceived into drilling back a catch and he ran out top-scorer Usman Afzaal with a direct hit on the stumps.

But his moment of glory was still to come because with Yorkshire apparently down and out at 212 for seven with five overs remaining he joined Richard Blakey and helped to knock off the remaining 34 runs to bring a thrilling victory with four balls to spare.

Although there was quite a bit of scampering about in the highly charged atmosphere, Gray still kept his nerve and two shots in the penultimate over were of the highest quality and almost took Yorkshire to the finishing line.

First he drove Greg Smith through the on-side for three, the ball just pulling up short of the boundary, and a couple of deliveries later he cut fiercely to the fence.

Gray finished unbeaten on 19 and did as much as anyone to prevent Yorkshire Phoenix from being consumed in their own flames.

While taking nothing away from Gray, I still wonder if his elevation to the first team has come too soon and whether Middlebrook and Fisher ought to have been given more opportunities before being more or less permanently discarded.

It is certainly one in the eye for the Yorkshire Cricket Academy that a 26-year-old League player should be preferred to either of two cricketers who have both come through Yorkshire's finishing school.

The same can be said of the admirable Steven Kirby as well as the likes of Scott Richardson and Michael Lumb. All three are fine players but does their presence on the staff suggest that it is easier to get into Yorkshire's first team by being parachuted in from elsewhere rather going through the Academy?

It costs Yorkshire thousands of pounds to see a player through the Academy and into the senior side which means that a lot of money has been squandered if that person is then pushed out by a new signing.

Yorkshire believe that Gray is worth the risk and under the Trent Bridge floodlights he gave the first indications that they may be right.