Craig White has stepped down as head coach of Hampshire after six years at the Ageas Bowl.

The former Yorkshire and England all-rounder spent two seasons in charge at the county, having previously head roles as assistant coach and bowling coach.

Survival has been the motive for Hampshire the last couple of years in the County Championship, with consecutive fifth-place finishes in Division One.

West Yorkshire born and bred, White cited the long distance separating him from his family as a reason for leaving the south coast.

Craig White said: “I’ve had a fantastic six years at Hampshire and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve as a group in that time. Whilst it’s certainly been a tough decision and one that hasn’t been made lightly, spending long periods of time away from my family has become more and more difficult and I feel that now is the right time to return to be with them on a more permanent basis.

“I’d like to thank everyone at the Club for their support throughout the last six years, from the players to the coaching staff, members and supporters, and I wish them the very best for the future.”

Hampshire Director of Cricket, Giles White said: “Craig has been an integral part of the Club since joining us in 2012, firstly as an Assistant Coach and then as Head Coach, and his dedication in that time has been outstanding.

“We understand his decision to step down and have been aware of the difficulties of being away from his family. On behalf of the Club I’d like to thank Craig for all the hard work and incredible contributions during his time here, he will be missed on both a personal and professional level. We wish him and his family well for the future.”