[4] Whitington began his state cricketing career for South Australia at the age of 20 in November 1932 under the captaincy of Vic Richardson as an opening batsman.

He was a regular member of the South Australian side until World War II, playing 36 matches and scoring 1728 runs at an average of 30.85, with three centuries.

[5] His highest score for South Australia was 125, which he scored twice against Queensland: in 1936–37, batting at number three, he was the highest scorer in a match that South Australia won by 112 runs;[6] in 1938–39, opening, he put on 197 for the first wicket with Ken Ridings in a ten-wicket victory.

[5] He scored one century, 155, in the second of the three matches against an Indian XI: opening, he put on 218 in 175 minutes for the second wicket with Jack Pettiford.

He was sports editor and roving Test reporter for Consolidated Press, owned and managed by the Packer family.