Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Alan Keith Davidson, AM
, MBE
(born 14 June 1929, Lisarow
, Gosford, New South Wales
) is a former Australian cricket
er of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman
, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium
opening bowler
. Strongly built and standing six feet tall, Davidson was known for his hard hitting power, which yielded many long hit sixes. His left arm bowling was a mainstay of the Australian pace attack of the 1950s and early 1960s, and from the late 1950s widely regarded as one of the finest pace bowlers in the world, with a classical bowling action which imparted late swing
. Davidson was considered along with Wasim Akram
as one of the two greatest left arm fast bowlers in history, and bowled with great control, conceding less than two runs per over. Only two other post-war bowlers have a superior bowling average
. Davidson was known for his anticipation in close catching positions and his accurate and strong throwing arm from the outfield. His ability to take improbable close range catches saw him earn the nickname "The Claw". In 2011, he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
during the 1949–50 season while the Test players were overseas, and took 26 wickets for the summer, earning him selection in an Australian Second XI tour of New Zealand
at the season's end. During a non-first-class match on tour, he took 10/29 in an innings and made 157 not out. Over the next two seasons, Davidson was unable to gain a regular position in the state team due to the presence of the Test players, but in 1952–53 he secured a position in the full-strength team and took 41 wickets at 26.75 and scored 418 runs at 34.83 to earn national selection for the 1953 tour of England
. He played in all five Tests in the Ashes
series, finishing the series with a modest return of 182 runs at 22.75 and eight wickets at 26.50. He also scored his maiden first-class century
during the tour. His fledgling international career stagnated over the next three years. Although Davidson was selected in the squad for the next four series, he suffered several injuries and inconsistent form, playing in only 7 of 19 Tests during this time, and taking only 8 wickets. Up to this point, he had played 12 Tests, none of them Australian victories. His individual performances were also unimpressive despite his first-class success, producing only 317 runs at 18.64 and 16 wickets at 34.06.
Davidson's career was then transformed after Australia's veteran fast bowling spearheads Keith Miller
and Ray Lindwall
retired and were dropped respectively after the tour. Davidson led an inexperienced pace attack on the tour of South Africa in 1957–58—his new ball
partner Ian Meckiff
was making his debut. In the First Test, he took 6/34, his maiden Test five-wicket haul, after narrowly evading being expelled for breaking a curfew. Davidson went on to take a total of 9/82 in the Fifth Test and end the career-transforming series with 25 wickets at 17.00 as Australia won 3–0. Although he scored few runs in the Tests, Davidson scored four of his nine career first-class centuries during the tour. During the 1958–59 home series against England, Davidson took 24 wickets at 19.00, including a total of 9/95 in the Second Test as Australia won 4–0. During the 1959–60 eight-Test tour of the Indian subcontinent
, Davidson overcame conditions unfavourable to fast bowling to take 41 wickets at 17.78 as Australia won four matches and lost one. In the Second Test against India in Kanpur, Davidson took his career-best match and innings bowling figures with 5/31 and 7/93. In the second innings, he bowled for an entire day's play without interruption and lost 11 kg during the match. In a career total of six Tests in India, Davidson took 30 wickets at an average of 15.77.
Davidson reached his all round peak during the 1960–61 home series against West Indies and was regarded as the key player in Australia's victory. In the First Test in Brisbane
, Davidson became the first player to take ten wickets and accumulate more than a hundred runs in a match despite a broken finger on bowling hand. He took 5/135 and 6/87 and after scoring 44 in the first innings, made 80 in a counter-attacking seventh-wicket partnership of 134 with captain Richie Benaud
as Australia sought victory in the run-chase rather than attempt to survive for a draw. Davidson was run out
for 80 as Australia lost their way in the final minutes, causing the first Tied Test
in history. He took five-wicket hauls in the three other Tests that he played, including Australia's victory in the Fifth Test to take the series 2–1. Despite missing a Test due to injury, he scored 212 runs at 30.28 and took 33 wickets at 18.55, almost half the average of the next best bowler. He ended the first-class season with 551 runs at 55.10 and 45 wickets at 20.62.
After having limited success on the previous two tours of England, Davidson took 23 wickets at 24.87 in 1961 as Australia prevailed 2–1. He took 5/42 in the Second Test at Lord's and then hit a counter-attacking 77 not out in the Fourth Test after the hosts looked set to take the series lead. Davidson's innings gave Australia a defendable total and they sealed the Ashes with a late comeback and victory. During the 1961–62 Australian domestic season, Davidson scored 521 runs at 40.07 including two centuries, and took 42 wickets at 13.62, playing a leading role as his state won the Sheffield Shield for the ninth time in a row. Davidson retired from cricket after the 1962–63 series against England, having taken 24 wickets despite injuring himself despite bowling in just over four Tests. The series was drawn, the only non-victory for Australia since Davidson had become their leading bowler. During the last five years of his career, Davidson took 170 Test wickets at 19.25 in 32 Tests, only four of which were lost. After his departure, Australia struggled, winning only one Test series in four years.
In retirement, Davidson served on the boards of various organisations across fields as varying as charity, medicine, industry and sport. He was a national cricket selector for five years and was the President of the New South Wales Cricket Association
from 1970 to 2003. Davidson was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame
in 2004.
(NSW) near the city of Gosford
on the NSW Central Coast. He learnt to play cricket on a pitch that he dug out of a hill on his family's rural property. By the age of nine, he was playing in the second division of the Gosford grade competition. Throughout his high school years, he represented Northern High Schools in the state combined public schools' competition where he played against his future Test captain Richie Benaud
, who captained City High Schools. During his teenage years, Davidson kept fit by working on the family property, chopping wood and carrying farm produce.
Davidson originally bowled left arm unorthodox spin, but when his uncle's team was missing a fast bowler in a country match, Davidson stepped in, remaining a fast bowler permanently. In 1948–49, he moved to Sydney
and joined the Northern Districts grade club. A talented rugby league
player in his youth, he trained with the Western Districts Football Club
in the off season to maintain his fitness.
The Australian Test team was touring South Africa in 1949–50, creating opportunities for young players back home. This was especially true with respect to fast bowling, as Keith Miller
and Ray Lindwall
, Australia's two leading pacemen, were from New South Wales and were in South Africa. In addition, Ernie Toshack
, who had been in the Test team since World War II
, had broken down.
Amid this environment, Davidson was selected for New South Wales
. On debut against South Australia
, Davidson claimed the wicket of Bob McLean
with his second ball and finished with 4/32. He then made 34 with the bat as New South Wales took a 282-run lead, but was unsuccessful in the second innings, taking 0/90 as South Australia held on for a draw.
He finished the season strongly, with 19 wickets in the last three matches against Queensland
, South Australia and Victoria
. This included a haul of 5/28 and 2/37 as he helped New South Wales to a win over their arch-rivals Victoria, who had defeated them earlier in the season. His debut season ended with 26 wickets at 18.73. He did not surpass his debut innings with the bat and ended with 110 runs at 15.71.
These performances earned him selection for the Australian Second XI tour of New Zealand under Bill Brown
. Most of the matches were not first-class, and in one match at Wairarapa
, he showed his all round skills by taking all ten wickets for 29 and then made an unbeaten 157, helping Australia to a win by an innings and 466 runs. In the only international match against New Zealand
for the tour, Davidson made a duck and took 0/36 in the first innings. He then took 4/24 in the second innings, including the wickets of Bert Sutcliffe
and Verdun Scott
to help instigate a collapse. The hosts were 9/76, only eight runs ahead, when time ran out. He ended his maiden tour in Australian colours with nine wickets at 18.22 and 18 runs at 6.00 in three first-class matches.
With the return of the Test players for the 1950–51 season, Davidson had to perform strongly when given opportunities in order to hold his position. He started his season productively by taking 7/49 in the first innings of the opening match against Queensland
, including the wickets of Test players Ken Archer
, Colin McCool
and Don Tallon
, but he expressed disappointment at his erratic line and length, frequently bowling full toss
es and long hop
s. New South Wales won by an innings, and Davidson took four wickets in the return match, but results began to dry up thereafter. He had the opportunity to show his skills against Test opposition as New South Wales played England ahead of the Tests, but he went wicketless, and was dropped in December after the next match against Western Australia
. Davidson ended the season with 14 wickets at 22.71 and 42 runs at 10.50 from four matches.
Despite another season of limited opportunities in 1951–52—he played in only four matches—Davidson continued to improve. He struggled at the outset, taking only four wickets at 41.25 in his four innings, before breaking through against a full-strength Victorian team. He broke through for his first half-century, scoring 76 before being bowled by Bill Johnston
— at the time ranked the No. 1 bowler in the world. He then took 4/93 in the second innings, removing Test captain Lindsay Hassett
and Australian representatives Ian Johnson
and Doug Ring
. He then took five wickets in a match against Queensland before bowling his state to victory over Western Australia in his final match for the summer. He took 6/13 to cut down Western Australia for 50 and took 3/36 in the second innings to seal a 250-run win. Davidson ended the season with 22 wickets at 18.00 and 137 runs at 27.40.
Davidson brought himself to the verge of Test selection in 1952–53; it was the first summer during which he commanded a regular place in a full-strength New South Wales team. He took a total of 6/74 in the second match of the season against Queensland, and then impressed against the touring South African Test team. He took a total of 4/113, including batsmen Jackie McGlew
and Russell Endean
. Steady wicket-taking, combined with an all round performance of 66, 40 and 3/89 against Western Australia saw Davidson selected for the Australian XI, which took on South Africa in what was effectively a dress rehearsal for the Tests. He managed only nine with the bat, but took 5/108 in the only innings of the match. Nevertheless, he was overlooked for Test selection. He took 41 wickets at 26.75 and scored three half-centuries with the bat to total 418 runs at 34.83.
Following these consistent performances, Davidson was selected for the 1953 Ashes tour
. He improved on his career best in consecutive matches against Tasmania
before the Australians sailed to England, scoring 87 and 90. The second effort featured a 167-run partnership with Richie Benaud
. It was to be the first of many joint efforts by the pair of bowling all rounders for Australia over the next ten years. Davidson then took 3/45 with the ball, including the wickets of Miller and leading Australian batsman Neil Harvey
.
, Davidson made his debut on English soil against Leicestershire
. He scored 63, featuring in a century partnership with Harvey, before taking 2/23 and 0/35 in an innings victory. In the next match against Yorkshire, he removed Len Hutton
, regarded as the best batsman in the world at the time. In the nine first-class matches leading up to the Tests, Davidson performed steadily without being spectacular. He scored two fifties and passed 20 in every completed innings to aggregate 317 runs at 45.28, and took 17 wickets at 22.12, taking more than two wickets in an innings on only one occasion. That occasion was against the Marylebone Cricket Club
, which was a virtual England Test team, while Australia fielded their strongest possible team. In what was effectively a dress rehearsal for the Tests, Davidson took 2/17 and 3/49, removing Trevor Bailey
, Godfrey Evans
, Johnny Wardle
, Tom Graveney
and leading batsman Denis Compton
.
When the Tests started at Trent Bridge
, Davidson was named in the playing XI. He supported the pace attack of Miller, Lindwall and Johnston in the five Tests. His debut in the First Test was unremarkable. As with most of Australia's batsmen, Davidson struggled against Alec Bedser
, who broke the English Test wicket-taking record in the wet conditions, making only four and six. He took 2/22 in the first innings as the match ended in a rain affected draw. His first Test wicket was that of Hutton, caught by Benaud, and he added Evans in the latter part of the innings.
He scored a hard hitting 76 in the first innings of the Second Test at Lord's to help Australia take control, but a stubborn partnership by Bailey and Willie Watson
saw England hang on for a draw. Davidson bowled only 24.5 overs for the match, and Wardle was his only wicket. Rainy weather greeted the players in the Third Test at Old Trafford and more than half the playing time was washed out. Davidson took 2/60 in the drawn match, removing Reg Simpson
and Willie Watson
. Australia were in a good position at the start of the final day of the Fourth Test at Headingley
, with England leading by only 78 runs with five wickets in hand. However, Bailey (38) and Jim Laker
(48) stubbornly resisted with a mixture of time-wasting and dour defence. Davidson eventually removed both, but there was not enough time remaining to secure an Australian victory. His match figures of 3/59 from 50.1 overs were in large part due to the defensive tactics of England. The fate of The Ashes
thus came down to the Fifth Test at The Oval
. Davidson scored 22 and 21 and could not take a wicket as England won by eight wickets to regain the urn for the first time in two decades. Australia had blundered by omitting a specialist spinner, mistakenly thinking that the pitch would not spin. Davidson hit England's spinners out of the attack for a period, but succumbed to the variable bounce of the pitch.
Davidson passed 25 in the Tests only once took two wickets on three occasions. He finished the series with 182 runs at 22.75 and his sparingly used bowling yielded eight wickets at 26.50. Despite this, he was Australia's sixth-highest run-scorer and third-leading wicket-taker.
Despite his lack of performance in the Tests, Davidson showed his potential with consistent performance throughout the tour. He compiled 944 runs at 41.04 during the tour and amassed five half centuries and a century. He scored three fifties in the last month of the tour, and after missing his maiden first-class century with 95 against Lancashire
, he broke through with 104* against Somerset
at County Ground, Taunton. He also took 50 wickets at 20.96 with the ball. Davidson was steady with the ball, never taking more than three wickets in an innings. He ranked seventh among the Australians in both run-scoring and wicket-taking.
During the tour, tensions sometimes arose between the senior players, who were war veterans and drinkers, while the younger players including Davidson tended to abstain from alcohol. Teammate Ian Craig
estimated that bus journeys to matches proceeded at an average speed of 16 km/h because of persistent stoppages outside pubs, something that frustrated the non-drinkers. In the end, the young players had to the majority of the fielding as their older colleagues were often still intoxicated during matches.
The 1953–54 season was purely domestic, with no Tests scheduled. Davidson had a modest injury-hit season, scoring 76 runs at 19.00 and taking nine wickets at 32.71 in four matches. His best was a 4/50 against Queensland, and 3/89 in a testimonial match for retiring Australian captain Lindsay Hassett
; he removed Test team-mates Benaud, Ron Archer
and Graeme Hole
.
In 1954–55 England toured Australia for five Ashes Tests. Davidson started his season well, scoring 30 and 27 not out and taking a total of 5/104 as New South Wales drew with England. His victims included leading batsmen Colin Cowdrey
and Bill Edrich
. However, Davidson succumbed to injury and missed Australia's only win of the series in the First Test, and upon his return in the Second Test, managed match figures of 2/86 and did not pass twenty in either innings as England levelled the series. He was dropped for the Third Test, but continued to perform strongly in domestic matches, including a sequence of 19 wickets in three matches. This included 4/45 including the wickets of Compton, Bailey and Graveney in a tour match against England, and a match-winning performance against arch-rivals Victoria that sealed a second successive Shield triumph with a resounding nine-wicket win in two days. He tore through the Victorians with 5/36 and 4/50, removing Harvey and Test all rounder Sam Loxton
twice. It was his best match bowling figures in his career to date.
Davidson was recalled for the Fourth Test, but managed only a wicket as England sealed the series 4–1. However, he then took a total of 6/68 as New South Wales defeated England; it was only the second time the tourists had lost for the summer. Davidson was retained for the final Test, his first on his home ground in Sydney, but was wicketless in a rain-affected draw. His Test series had been poor, with 71 runs at 14.20 and only three wickets at 73.33 as England retained the Ashes 3–1. Davidson had not tasted victory in any of his eight Tests. His poor Test form contrasted to his performances against England in tour matches; he took 15 wicket at 15.13 in three matches outside the Tests.
His overall bowling performance was strong, with 34 wickets at 23.18, although his batting was ineffective, with only 213 runs at 15.21 and a top-score of 30.
Davidson was selected for the 1954–55 tour of the West Indies, where he injured his right ankle in a tour match against Jamaica and missed the First Test against the West Indies. Upon his recovery, he could not break into the XI and did not play in any of the Tests, which Australia won 3–0. He scored 70 runs at 35.00 and took four wickets at 51.75 in three first-class outings.
After his injury-hit Caribbean sojourn, Davidson had the 1955–56 season, which was purely domestic, to force his way back into the national team for the 1956 tour of England. Johnston had also retired, leaving an extra vacancy for a pace bowler.
He started strongly with match figures of 7/87 in a drawn match against Queensland in Brisbane. The hosts managed to hang on with three wickets in hand, after Davidson's captain had held up play and wasted 20 minutes for the running of the Melbourne Cup
. He performed steadily for the next six matches, not taking more than two wickets in any innings, before playing a prominent role in the final match of the Sheffield Shield season against Victoria. It was then 100th anniversary of matches between the old rivals. Davidson took 6/99 in the first innings, including Harvey for 128, before adding 2/61 in the second. It helped prevent a defeat on the anniversary and sealed New South Wales' hat-trick of Shield titles.
Davidson was selected for the England tour and then took 12 wickets and scored his only half-century of the season as the Australians warmed up before sailing abroad. He ended the Australian season with 350 runs at 31.81 and 36 wickets at 25.19.
Davidson had an interrupted lead-in to the Tests. He injured himself while batting in his sixth match, against the MCC, and was unable to take any further part in the match. He was out of action for two weeks but recovered in time for the First Test at Trent Bridge. He had scored 46 runs at 11.50 and took 13 wickets at 20.92during his preparation.
In the First Test of the series at Nottingham
, Davidson removed Cowdrey before his ankle slipped in a footmark during the first innings and a bone was chipped. He was carried off with figures of 1/22 and his ankle plastered. The injury was such that he was unable to bat even with the assistance of a runner and was absent. This injury sidelined him until August.
By the time of Davidson's return, England had retained the Ashes 2–1 after annihilating Australia by an innings in consecutive Tests. Prior to this, Australia had not lost by an innings since 1938, let alone twice in a row. The Surrey
finger spin
pairing of Jim Laker
and Tony Lock
had led the decimation, taking 38 of the 40 wickets of dry dusty wickets doctored for their use. In Australia's match against Surrey before the Tests, the pair had taken 19 wickets as the tourists lost to a county side for the first time since 1912.
As a result of the finger spinners' success, Australian captain Ian Johnson
tried to convert Davidson into a left arm orthodox spinner. Davidson returned as Australia faced a fourth meeting with Laker and Lock, in a match against Surrey immediately after the two consecutive Test maulings. On a sticky wicket
that played into the hands of the Surrey spinners, Australia were skittled for 143. Only Davidson, who took the attack to the pair, made 44 not out. One six that he lofted from Laker almost reached the iconic gasometer outside The Oval
. The match was drawn, and Davidson took 2/50 including Eric Bedser
and Laker in his new role as a slow bowler.
Davidson was able to force his way back into the team for the Fifth Test at The Oval
. He scored eight and took a total of 1/34 in another rain-marred draw. Johnson persisted in using Davidson as a spinner, but it was not effective. In eight matches, the ploy yielded only 12 wickets at 24.25. Johnson was criticised for this novel strategy; cricket writer Ray Robinson
said "I have not met one good cricketer or cricket judge who is not mystified by them [Johnson's tactics]". Davidson felt that Johnson tried to rely too heavily on the senior players and should have placed more responsibility on the likes of Richie Benaud
, Ron Archer
and himself. Overall Davidson scored 270 runs at 27.00 with two fifties and took 26 wickets at 22.50 in England.
On the return leg to Australia, the team stopped on the Indian subcontinent
. Davidson's 37 in the inaugural one off Test against Pakistan was his first score beyond 25 in nine Tests. He was bowled sparingly with a total of 2/15 from 15 overs as Australia lost by nine wickets. A muscle problem stopped Davidson from playing against India in the First Test in Madras
, which Australia won by an innings. He played only in the Second Test, with pacemen Miller and Ron Archer
injured and unavailable. It got worse for Australia as Davidson and fellow paceman Pat Crawford
were hampered by stomach bugs and a hip strains respectively. Davidson scored 16 and took match figures of 1/42; Australia were unable to finish off the Indians with their depleted attack and the match ended in a draw. Davidson was left out of the Third Test win, so his overseas tour had ended without a Test victory, and only 64 runs at 16.00 and his underused bowling yielded five wickets at 22.60. In total, he had played twelve Tests, none of them resulting in an Australian victory. His individual performances were also unimpressive despite being successful at first-class level, producing only 317 runs at 18.64 and 16 wickets at 34.06. It was to be another year before Davidson tasted victory at the highest level.
Over the winter, with Test vacancies beckoning, Davidson and Benaud became training partners and decided to bowl for three hours continuously on a daily basis through the winter off season. With Ray Lindwall
dropped, Davidson and Benaud became Australia's leading paceman and spinner when the team for the 1957–58 tour of South Africa was announced. It was a heavy burden on Davidson, who had only taken two Test wickets in an innings four times, and three wickets in a Test match on one occasion. The team was to be led by Ian Craig
, who had played only six Tests, and at the age of just 22 years, he was the youngest ever Test captain from any country.
Davidson started the tour well, when Australia arrived in Rhodesia
(now Zimbabwe
) to play two tour matches against the Rhodesia
. He made an unbeaten 100 and took a total of 3/67 in the first match in Salisbury
, before scoring 19 and taking 5/36 and 2/22 in the second in Bulawayo
. Australia won both by an innings.
The Australians crossed the border into South Africa and Davidson scored 100 and took a total of 4/62 against Transvaal
as Craig's men started with a nine-wicket win. The next match was against a South African XI, and was effectively a dress rehearsal for the Tests. Davidson scored 34 and took a total of 7/103 as the Australians crushed the hosts by an innings. He rounded off his Test preparation with match figures of 6/35 against Border
and a 76 against Western Province
.
Despite the highly productive lead-up, Davidson faltered in his first outing as Australia's Test spearhead. He conceded 1/115 in only 32 overs in the first innings as South Africa reached 9/470 in the First Test in Johannesburg
. With Australia 102 behind on the first innings, Davidson's tour nearly ended. Unable to cope with the 10 pm curfew imposed by team manager Jack Norton
, Davidson and roommate Les Favell
absconded and went sightseeing. By the time they had returned, Norton had confiscated their keys and left them a note asking them to report. The pair then went to sleep at the home of some supporters who had hosted the team for dinner the previous day.
The next day, Davidson faced dismissal from the team, but he overcame the turmoil to take 6/34, his first five wicket haul. This included a seven-over spell before lunch that yielded three wickets and reduced South Africa to 4/19, before the match ended in a draw. Davidson, Favell and their hosts all told Norton that the pair of cricketers had stayed the entire night at the home. The duo were not sent home the curfew was repealed.
The Second Test in Cape Town
saw an Australian victory, the first in Davidson's 14 Tests. He took 2/31 and 2/18 as South Africa lost by an innings after being forced to follow on. It was during this match that Davidson earned his famous reputation for injury complaints, something that became a constant source of humour; he spent so much time on the massage table that his teammates attached a plaque that read "The AK Davidson Autograph Treatment Table". Benaud reported that Davidson persistently complained to captain Craig about an injury before delivering the next ball with high pace and swing.
He then scored 123 against Natal before the Third Test in Durban
, where he took 2/62 in a drawn match. In the Fourth Test in Johannesburg, Davidson made 62, his first Test half century in over four years, and took a total of 3/83 in a ten-wicket victory. He then took match figures of 7/55 against Griqualand West
and recorded his best first-class score of 129 in a match against Western Province
in Cape Town
. He then took 5/38 to help seal another innings win.
In the Fifth Test at Port Elizabeth, Davidson took 4/44 and then 5/38 in the second innings as he and Benaud took all ten wickets and South Africa were skittled for 144. Australia won by eight wickets and took the series 3–0. It was his best Test match haul to date. He scored 127 runs at 21.17 and took 25 wickets at 17.0 in the Tests. He had success against Russell Endean
and John Waite
, dismissing both twice. Although he was unable to score heavily in the Tests, Davidson scored four of his nine first class centuries during the tour. In all, he had taken 72 wickets at 15.13 and scored 813 runs at 54.20 for the entire tour. From this tour onwards, in 32 Tests, he was to take 170 wickets at 19.26 and score 1011 runs at 27.32 in the remainder of his career.
The 1958–59 English tour of Australia saw Davidson lead the attack for the first time in Australia. It was Australia's first series on home soil since the last English visit four years earlier and came on the back of three successive Ashes series losses. Davidson started well with match figures of 5/66 as Australia took the First Test in Brisbane by eight wickets. In the Second Test in Melbourne, Davidson took 6/64 in the first innings to help bowl out the tourists for 259 and put Australia in control. This included an opening spell in which he removed the three top order English batsmen Peter Richardson
, Watson and Tom Graveney
without conceding a run. He had Richardson caught behind from the first ball of his second over, before yorking
Watson with the fourth ball for duck and trapping Graveney leg before wicket
from the next delivery with an inswinger. This brought England captain Peter May
to the crease, but Davidson'a hat-trick ball was off target and no shot was offered. He later returned to remove Colin Cowdrey
, Brian Statham
and Peter Loader
.
In the second innings, he bowled unchanged with Ian Meckiff
, taking 3/41, and taking two reflex catches in the leg trap from Meckiff, as England were cut down for 87 and Australia took an eight-wicket win and a 2–0 lead. Davidson's least penetrative match was the Third Test in Sydney, taking a match total of 2/84. It coincided with Australia's only non-victory of the series. Davidson scored 71 as the match ended in a draw. He took three and five wickets in the final two Tests, both of which Australia won. Davidson ended the series with 24 wickets at 19.00. With the bat, Davidson had his most productive Test series yet, scoring 180 runs at 36.00. Australia had defeated Peter May
's team, who were heavily favoured, with ease. According to cricket writer Gideon Haigh
, "Davidson had the ball on a string".
Davidson added a century in a state match against South Australia and for the entire first-class season, he totalled 431 runs at 33.15 and 47 wickets at 18.04.
The 1959–60 season saw Davidson confronted with an arduous eight Test tour of the Indian subcontinent, with three and five Tests against Pakistan and India respectively. Flat and dry pitches unconducive to fast bowling combined with oppressive heat confronted the players. On the last tour, many of the Australians had fallen ill with food positioning, and Davidson had asked Donald Bradman
, the Australian Chairman of Selectors if opting out of the tour was permitted. Bradman turned him down. Davidson was consistent throughout the Pakistan series, taking four wickets in each of the three Tests, to end with 12 wickets at 24.83. He also batted solidly, with 47 and 39* in the latter two Tests to end with 90 runs at 45.00. His contributions helped Australia to a 2–0 series result; it was the first time Pakistan had lost a Test on home soil and the pair of victories were its last in Pakistan for 39 years. He had particular success against Imtiaz Ahmed, removing him four times.
In the First Test against India in Delhi
, Davidson took 3/22 in the first innings, removing both openers Pankaj Roy
and Nari Contractor
, and captain Polly Umrigar
to help Australia seize the initiative and bowl out the hosts for 135. He then contributed four catches in the second as Australia took a 1–0 series lead with an innings victory.
The Second Test in Kanpur saw Davidson return his career best innings and match bowling figures. On a dry pitch and in searing temperatures unfavourable for fast bowling, he took 5/31 in the first innings as India were all out for 152. He then scored 41 as Australia replied with 219. In heat above 38 degrees Celsius, he bowled unchanged for the entire day to take 7/93 from 57.3 overs in the second innings. During the match, Davidson lost around 11 kg in weight. According to the Australians, it was the "harshest cricket environment" that they had encountered. Davidson said that he felt like a "bloody zombie".
Australia were left a target of 225 for victory. Davidson fell for eight as part of a Jasu Patel
-inspired collapse. Patel took 14/124 and Australia were out for 105. This resulted in Australia's first loss in the fifteen Tests since Davidson began leading the attack, and their first at the hands of their hosts.
Davidson took 4/62 in the first innings of the Third Test in Delhi as Australia took a 98-run first innings lead, but he was unable to add to his tally in the second innings as the hosts' batsmen held on for a draw. He then took taking match figures of 5/69 and 5/113 in the last two matches as Australia managed to win the Fourth Test to take a hard fought 2–1 series victory. Davidson had led the way with 29 wickets at 14.86 in a country regarded as a graveyard for fast bowling—in this era, the home team's attack was dominated by spinners. In six Tests in India, Davidson had taken 30 wickets at an average of 15.77.
's tourists. He struck 88 as the hosts amassed 6/429 declared and then took three top-order wickets, removing Cammie Smith
, Rohan Kanhai
and Gary Sobers, holder of the Test world record of 365. He ended with 4/26 as the West Indies fell for 111 and lost by an innings. He then completed his Test preparation with 122 not out against Victoria.
In the First Test against the West Indies cricket team in Brisbane
, Davidson showed his all round skills as well as stamina in becoming the first player to take ten wickets and accumulate more than a hundred runs in a match. On the eve of the match, Davidson broke the little finger on his bowling hand during catching practice and was unable to move it. However, he decided to play after Bradman gave a motivational speech to the team ahead of the match.
On the first two days, he bowled thirty (eight ball) overs to take 5/135 in the first innings as the West Indies reached 453. He did much of the heavy lifting in removing four of the West Indies' batsmen, Conrad Hunte
, Smith, Kanhai and Worrell. Australia took a small lead of 52 after reaching 505, with Davidson contributing 44. In the second innings, Davidson was left with a heavier workload after his new ball partner Meckiff broke down after four overs. He took 6/87 from 24.6 overs as the West Indies were restricted to 284. he was again responsible for cutting down the leading batsmen, removing Smith, Kanhai, Sobers and Worrell. This left Australia 233 runs to win with 312 minutes available on the last day. Former Australian Test batsman and journalist Jack Fingleton
commented that "One sensed that the West Indies realised they were facing defeat". However, the tourists had other ideas.
Although time was plentiful, the pitch had begun to deteriorate and Australia look defeated after they had fallen to 5/57, prompting Davidson to join local batsman Ken Mackay
at the crease. They took the score to 92 when Mackay fell and Australia's chances of winning looked remote as Davidson and Benaud reached tea at 6/109 with 124 runs still required with only the tailenders were to follow. Despite this, Benaud told chairman of selectors Don Bradman that he would still be going for an improbable victory in accordance with his policy of aggressive strategy. With an attacking partnership, the pair took Australia to within sight of the target. The pair added 50 runs in 55 minutes. Davidson hooked leading paceman Wes Hall
repeatedly and Benaud attacked the spinners when Worrell took Hall off. Both men were noted for their hitting ability and viewed attack as their most effective chance of survival. Davidson hit four fours from the leg spin
of Sonny Ramadhin
, and the deficit dwindled to 60 with one hour remaining and 27 with 30 minutes to go. The pair took 17 runs from the next two overs, and regular boundaries and quickly run singles took Australia into what looked like a victorious position. They took the score to 226 with a seventh wicket partnership of 134. Only seven runs were required with four wickets in hand as time was running short. Benaud hit a ball into the covers and the pair attempted a quick single, but a direct hit from Joe Solomon
saw Davidson run out
for his highest Test score of 80. Davidson reflected "I was as dirty as anyone ever has been". Australia needed six runs from the final over with three wickets in hand but Benaud was caught and the last two players fell to run outs while attempting the winning run. The match was tie in Test cricket, and Davidson had achieved his unprecedented feat despite carrying a broken finger into the match. Bradman joked that he should break his finger before every match.
After this marathon effort, Davidson scored 81 as New South Wales defeated the tourists by an innings for the second time in the space of the month. He was only asked to bowl five overs after his efforts in Brisbane.
Davidson returned to a full workload as he helped Australia take a 1–0 series lead in the Second Test in Melbourne. He scored 35 in the first innings of 348, before taking 6/53 in the West Indies' reply of 181. He removed Joe Solomon
, before removing the established batsmen Seymour Nurse
and Kanhai to trigger a collapse. This allowed Benaud to enforce the follow on. Davidson took a further 2/51 in the second innings to set up a seven wicket victory. The teams moved to Sydney for the next Test, where Davidson's unhappy experiences on his home ground continued. The West Indies batted first and made 339; Davidson took 5/80, including Smith, Kanhai and Sobers. Davidson made 16 as Australia replied with 202 and were in trouble when Meckiff was forced off the field early in the tourists' second innings with injury. Davidson lifted and removed Hunte, Kanhai and Sobers for single figures with the new ball. However, he too was forced off with a hamstring tear. With Australia two men down, the West Indies recovered to 326 and set the hosts 464 for victory, which would have required a world record fourth innings score. Davidson managed only one as Australia lost by 222 runs. He had not had a Test win in Sydney in three attempts, the only Australian ground where he had not played in a victory. After missing the Fourth Test because of a month on the sidelines to recuperate from the hamstring tear, he returned for the Fifth Test with the series level at 1–1. He took match figures of 6/173, including five wickets with late swing in the second innings to help Australia secure the victory. Davidson scored 28 and 12 as Benaud's men stumbled in the run-chase before scraping home by two wickets.
In three and a half Tests, he accumulated 212 runs at 30.28 and totalled 33 wickets against the Caribbean visitors at a cost of 18.55, when the next best average of any bowler was 33. Davidson was regarded as the main factor in Australia's 2–1 series win. He ended the first-class season with 551 runs at 55.10 and 45 wickets at 20.62.
The 1961 tour of England was Davidson's overseas farewell, and he had not been prolific on his two previous visits, never managing to take more than four wickets in an innings and toalling only 76 in 40 first-class matches.
He broke through for his first five-wicket haul on English soil in his fifth match against Glamorgan
, taking 5/63 in the first innings and scoring an unbeaten 68. He added 90 in the next match against Gloucestershire
before facing the MCC at Lord's in the traditional dress rehearsal for the Tests. He took 6/46 and 3/58 as Australia took victory. His wickets included leading Test batsmen Cowdrey and Ken Barrington
. Davidson headed into the Tests with 257 runs at 42.83 and 26 wickets at 22.35 from eight matches.
Despite this form, his Test campaign started poorly with an ineffective 1/130 in the drawn First Test at Edgbaston
. He then broke down with a back injury in a match against Kent
and looked unlikely to play. With Benaud already sidelined with a shoulder injury, Australia looked severely weakened without their two main bowlers. Despite again complaining about frailties of his body, Davidson vowed to play and produce a special performance for friend and stand-in captain Neil Harvey
in the Second Test at Lord's.
Davidson took copious amounts of capsulin, and he took his position in what was known as the "Battle of the Ridge" due to the presence of a ridge on the surface that yielded erratic bounce. He exploited this in the first innings, beating Raman Subba Row
three times in the first over and striking Geoff Pullar
in the shoulder. He then bowled Pullar and struck Ted Dexter
twice in the chest. Dexter then hit a ball to short leg but was dropped. Davidson then removed Peter May
and Barrington before ending with 5/42 as Australia dismissed the hosts for 206 to seize the initiative. Davidson credited the performance to the capsulin, which flowed into his lower body and in his own words, put his "backside on fire".
Australia took a first innings lead of 134 and Davidson removed Subba Row and Barrington with the new ball in the second innings to end with 2/50 and help set up a five wicket victory. Davidson was at the crease when the wining runs were scored, albeit at the non-striker's end. It was the first time Davidson had tasted Test victory on English soil in three tours.
He then took 5/63 in the first innings of the Third Test at Headingley, removing Subba Row, May, Barrington and Ted Dexter
at the top of the order, but Australia struggled with the bat and England lost only two wickets in reaching 62 in the second innings to level the series. Davidson took one of those wickets, removing Subba Row.
Davidson played a large role in the Fourth Test Old Trafford. Victory would give Australia an unassailable 2–1 series lead and retention of the Ashes. A loss would mean that Australia would need to win the Fifth and final Test to prevent England from reclaiming them.
Australia started poorly, and Davidson made a duck as the tourists were dismissed for 190. Davidson then took 3/67, removing Pullar, May and Subba Row as England took a sizeable 177-run lead.
This appeared to be a match-winning lead after Australia had lost three wickets in quick succession to David Allen
, leaving them at 9/334 with only a 157 run lead. Last man Graham McKenzie
came to the crease to join Davidson, who had been in poor form with the bat, having failed to pass 22 in the past five matches in six weeks. Davidson sais that "I was shaking like I had Parkinson's".
May brought on the part-time spin of Brian Close
and 15 runs came in two overs, helping Davidson to feel more at ease. At the time, Allen had bowled 25 maidens in 37 overs. Davidson responded to the situation by hitting Allen out of the attack. In Allen's 10th over for the day, Davidson took 20 runs. He lofted an off drive over the boundary for six, and drove through the covers for four from both the front and back foot. Davidson then hit the bowler out of the stadium onto the adjacent railway lines. Fred Trueman
came on and struck Davidson on the foot with a yorker
. Davidson responded with a three and a cut for four that brought up Australia's 400. He ended with a hard-hitting 77 not out, after a final wicket partnership of 98 in 102 minutes. This extended Australia's lead to 256 on the last day and gave them hope of stopping England from winning the match. England looked to be heading towards victory with seven wickets in hand and less than 100 runs required, but a Benaud-inspired collapse saw Australia home by 54 runs. Davidson knocked Brian Statham
's off stump out of the ground to end the match and ended with 2/50. It was Australia's first victory at Old Trafford since 1902 and sealed the series.
He ended his final Test series on foreign soil with combined figures of 4/150 in the Fifth Test at The Oval
, which was drawn. Davidson finished the series with 23 wickets at 24.87 and 151 runs at 30.20. He was again Australia's leading bowler on tour.
Davidson bade farewell to the English first-class scene with a match-winning display with both bat and ball against AER Gilligan's XI. He took 3/45 and scored 65 and 60, helping Australia to scrape home by three wickets.
For his efforts, Davidson was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year
in 1962. He was also awarded an OBE
.
Davidson was in strong all round form in the 1961–62 Australian season, which was a purely domestic one. Against Victoria in Sydney, he scored 106 in a hard hitting innings with the tail. He made 58 of the 59 runs added in a last wicket partnership with Doug Ford, the other being a leg bye. The partnership lasted only 44 balls and Davidson managed to farm the strike and face 41 of these. The effort helped to set up a ten-wicket win. The following week against Western Australia
in Perth
, he made 108 after New South Wales had slumped to 6/38 to help the visitors recover to 218. New South Wales struggled in their second innings and Western Australia needed only 175 for victory. However, Davidson took his career best innings bowling figures of 7/31 to bowl out the hosts for 106 and seize a victory. In both matches against Queensland, Davidson took four quick wickets in the second innings to secure narrow victories after bold declarations. New South Wales won the Shield in that season with 64 of a maximum possible 80 points, playing aggressive cricket under Benaud. It was their ninth title in a row. Davidson was a key factor in the dominance, scoring 521 runs at 40.07 and taking 42 wickets at 13.62.
However, he started the Tests slowly, failing to take a wicket in the first innings of the First Test at Brisbane before securing 3/43 in the second as the match was drawn. He removed Barrington, Pullar and David Sheppard
. However he returned to form with 96 and 4/80 against South Australia, and then added a milestone to his first-class career with a hat-trick
against Western Australia in Perth. Having taken a wicket with the first ball of the innings, Davidson proceeded to bowl both Barry Shepherd
and John Parker before Russell Waugh was caught by Norm O'Neill
in the first innings. He ended with 5/40 and took 2/32 in the second innings as the visitors completed an innings victory.
In the Second Test at Melbourne, Davidson made 40 in Australia's first innings of 316. and then captured 6/75 to restrict England's lead to 15. Australia then 248 with Davidson contributing 17, but he went wicketless in the second innings as England successfully reached their target with seven wickets in hand to take a 1–0 series lead. Australia's victory in the Third Test at Sydney, was Davidson's first Test victory on his home ground, and he made a major contribution with bowling figures of 4/54 and 5/25; the latter effort included the wickets of Pullar, Sheppard and Dexter to precipitate a collapse that saw England all out for 104. This left Australia with a victory target of only 65, which was reached just before the beginning of a heavy thunderstorm that would have caused the remainder of the match to be abandoned, thus saving England from defeat.
Davidson struck 46 runs in the first innings of the Fourth Test in Adelaide, then tore his hamstring muscle after bowling only 3.4 overs. Australia, with a bowler short, was unable to force a win without him. The Fifth Test was on his home ground at Sydney with the series locked 1–1. He captured 3/43 and 3/80, taking a wicket with his final ball in Test cricket when Alan Smith
was caught at slip by Bob Simpson
. This left Australia with a target of 241 in 60 overs, but there was to be no fairytale finish as the match ended in a draw.
The Ashes series was the only one of seven series that Australia failed to win since Davidson became the team's frontline strike bowler in 1957–58. Of the 33 Tests in this period, Australia won 16, lost four, drew 12 and tied one. Davidson missed one of the drawn games through injury and broke down mid-match in another two. In the five years that he and Benaud led Australia's bowling attack, the pair totalled 333 wickets; Davidson 170 at 19.25 and Benaud 163 at 25, and were a major part in Australia's return to the forefront of world cricket. This came after the first four years of Davidson's career saw Australia win none and lose seven matches out of twelve. Often bowling in tandem, Davidson's accuracy also forced opposition batsmen to attack Benaud, leading them to perish from the pressure to raise the run rate. In the four years after Davidson retired, Australia struggled without his wicket-taking ability. Only one of the six series was won and two were lost; in all Australia managed six wins and eight losses in 30 Tests. Davidson was at his best when Australia was on her knees; In the four Test losses during the last five years of his career, he took 32 wickets at an average of just 13.9 including a ten wicket haul. In the Tied Test, he took eleven wickets, the other ten wicket haul in his Test career.
. At the age of 41, he was the youngest person to have held the post. Davidson held the post until 2003. Davidson was one of the trustees of the SCG from 1978 to 1998, during which time floodlights were installed at the ground.
Davidson has held positions on the board of directors of a variety of organisations, sporting, medical, philanthropic and corporate. He is the chairman of Freshfood Australia Holdings, and was the president of Surf Lifesaving Australia from 1984 to 2002. He served as a member of the New South Wales Sport Advisory Council from 1988 to 2008, and the national equivalent from 1977 to 1981, and served as a director of the ANZAC Health and Research Foundation from 1994 to 2003. He has held positions with the Australian Red Cross
and Legacy Australia
in the past.
He also served as the chairman of the Rothmans National Sports Foundation for six years. He served on the New South Wales Olympic Council from 1980 to 1996. He published his autobiography Fifteen Paces in 1963, a reference to the length of his bowling run.
Davidson married Betty Patricia McKinley in 1952. Their two sons were born in 1953 and 1955 when he was on tour in England and the West Indies respectively. He was named as the New South Wales Father of the Year in 1982. Davidson worked as a teller for the Commonwealth Bank from 1947 to 1974.
A suburban cricket & Australian rules football ground in Alexandria
, in Sydney's inner-west, is named after Davidson.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 14 June 1929, Lisarow
Lisarow, New South Wales
Lisarow is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located north-northeast of Gosford's central business district via the Pacific Highway...
, Gosford, New South Wales
Gosford, New South Wales
Gosford is a city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 76 km north of the Sydney central business district...
) is a former Australian cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
opening bowler
Bowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
. Strongly built and standing six feet tall, Davidson was known for his hard hitting power, which yielded many long hit sixes. His left arm bowling was a mainstay of the Australian pace attack of the 1950s and early 1960s, and from the late 1950s widely regarded as one of the finest pace bowlers in the world, with a classical bowling action which imparted late swing
Swing bowling
Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling.-Physics of swing bowling:...
. Davidson was considered along with Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is a former Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman in cricketer and model. who represented the Pakistan national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches....
as one of the two greatest left arm fast bowlers in history, and bowled with great control, conceding less than two runs per over. Only two other post-war bowlers have a superior bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
. Davidson was known for his anticipation in close catching positions and his accurate and strong throwing arm from the outfield. His ability to take improbable close range catches saw him earn the nickname "The Claw". In 2011, he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
Career
Davidson made his first-class debut for New South WalesNew South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
during the 1949–50 season while the Test players were overseas, and took 26 wickets for the summer, earning him selection in an Australian Second XI tour of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
at the season's end. During a non-first-class match on tour, he took 10/29 in an innings and made 157 not out. Over the next two seasons, Davidson was unable to gain a regular position in the state team due to the presence of the Test players, but in 1952–53 he secured a position in the full-strength team and took 41 wickets at 26.75 and scored 418 runs at 34.83 to earn national selection for the 1953 tour of England
Australian cricket team in England in 1953
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1953 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.England won the final Test to take the series 1-0 after the first four Tests were all drawn. England therefore recovered the Ashes for the first time since losing them in...
. He played in all five Tests in the Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
series, finishing the series with a modest return of 182 runs at 22.75 and eight wickets at 26.50. He also scored his maiden first-class century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
during the tour. His fledgling international career stagnated over the next three years. Although Davidson was selected in the squad for the next four series, he suffered several injuries and inconsistent form, playing in only 7 of 19 Tests during this time, and taking only 8 wickets. Up to this point, he had played 12 Tests, none of them Australian victories. His individual performances were also unimpressive despite his first-class success, producing only 317 runs at 18.64 and 16 wickets at 34.06.
Davidson's career was then transformed after Australia's veteran fast bowling spearheads Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
and Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
retired and were dropped respectively after the tour. Davidson led an inexperienced pace attack on the tour of South Africa in 1957–58—his new ball
Cricket ball
A cricket ball is a hard, solid leather ball used to play cricket. Constructed of cork and leather, a cricket ball is heavily regulated by cricket law at first class level...
partner Ian Meckiff
Ian Meckiff
Ian Meckiff is a former cricketer who represented Australia in 18 Tests between 1957 and 1963...
was making his debut. In the First Test, he took 6/34, his maiden Test five-wicket haul, after narrowly evading being expelled for breaking a curfew. Davidson went on to take a total of 9/82 in the Fifth Test and end the career-transforming series with 25 wickets at 17.00 as Australia won 3–0. Although he scored few runs in the Tests, Davidson scored four of his nine career first-class centuries during the tour. During the 1958–59 home series against England, Davidson took 24 wickets at 19.00, including a total of 9/95 in the Second Test as Australia won 4–0. During the 1959–60 eight-Test tour of the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
, Davidson overcame conditions unfavourable to fast bowling to take 41 wickets at 17.78 as Australia won four matches and lost one. In the Second Test against India in Kanpur, Davidson took his career-best match and innings bowling figures with 5/31 and 7/93. In the second innings, he bowled for an entire day's play without interruption and lost 11 kg during the match. In a career total of six Tests in India, Davidson took 30 wickets at an average of 15.77.
Davidson reached his all round peak during the 1960–61 home series against West Indies and was regarded as the key player in Australia's victory. In the First Test in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Davidson became the first player to take ten wickets and accumulate more than a hundred runs in a match despite a broken finger on bowling hand. He took 5/135 and 6/87 and after scoring 44 in the first innings, made 80 in a counter-attacking seventh-wicket partnership of 134 with captain Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
as Australia sought victory in the run-chase rather than attempt to survive for a draw. Davidson was run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
for 80 as Australia lost their way in the final minutes, causing the first Tied Test
Tied Test
Tied Test refers to a rare result in Test cricket. Only two ties have occurred in the 2,000 Tests played since 1877. The first was in 1960 and the second in 1986...
in history. He took five-wicket hauls in the three other Tests that he played, including Australia's victory in the Fifth Test to take the series 2–1. Despite missing a Test due to injury, he scored 212 runs at 30.28 and took 33 wickets at 18.55, almost half the average of the next best bowler. He ended the first-class season with 551 runs at 55.10 and 45 wickets at 20.62.
After having limited success on the previous two tours of England, Davidson took 23 wickets at 24.87 in 1961 as Australia prevailed 2–1. He took 5/42 in the Second Test at Lord's and then hit a counter-attacking 77 not out in the Fourth Test after the hosts looked set to take the series lead. Davidson's innings gave Australia a defendable total and they sealed the Ashes with a late comeback and victory. During the 1961–62 Australian domestic season, Davidson scored 521 runs at 40.07 including two centuries, and took 42 wickets at 13.62, playing a leading role as his state won the Sheffield Shield for the ninth time in a row. Davidson retired from cricket after the 1962–63 series against England, having taken 24 wickets despite injuring himself despite bowling in just over four Tests. The series was drawn, the only non-victory for Australia since Davidson had become their leading bowler. During the last five years of his career, Davidson took 170 Test wickets at 19.25 in 32 Tests, only four of which were lost. After his departure, Australia struggled, winning only one Test series in four years.
In retirement, Davidson served on the boards of various organisations across fields as varying as charity, medicine, industry and sport. He was a national cricket selector for five years and was the President of the New South Wales Cricket Association
New South Wales Cricket Association
The New South Wales Cricket Association is a sporting club who administer cricket in New South Wales, based at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Their trading name is Cricket NSW....
from 1970 to 2003. Davidson was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame
Australian Cricket Hall of Fame
The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame is a part of the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum in the National Sports Museum at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This Hall of Fame commemorates the greatest Australian cricketers of all time....
in 2004.
Early years
The son of Leslie Keith Davidson and Hilda Aileen Clifton, Davidson grew up in Lisarow, New South WalesLisarow, New South Wales
Lisarow is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located north-northeast of Gosford's central business district via the Pacific Highway...
(NSW) near the city of Gosford
Gosford, New South Wales
Gosford is a city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 76 km north of the Sydney central business district...
on the NSW Central Coast. He learnt to play cricket on a pitch that he dug out of a hill on his family's rural property. By the age of nine, he was playing in the second division of the Gosford grade competition. Throughout his high school years, he represented Northern High Schools in the state combined public schools' competition where he played against his future Test captain Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
, who captained City High Schools. During his teenage years, Davidson kept fit by working on the family property, chopping wood and carrying farm produce.
Davidson originally bowled left arm unorthodox spin, but when his uncle's team was missing a fast bowler in a country match, Davidson stepped in, remaining a fast bowler permanently. In 1948–49, he moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and joined the Northern Districts grade club. A talented rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player in his youth, he trained with the Western Districts Football Club
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
in the off season to maintain his fitness.
The Australian Test team was touring South Africa in 1949–50, creating opportunities for young players back home. This was especially true with respect to fast bowling, as Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
and Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
, Australia's two leading pacemen, were from New South Wales and were in South Africa. In addition, Ernie Toshack
Ernie Toshack
Ernest Raymond Herbert Toshack was an Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests from 1946 to 1948. A left arm medium paced bowler who was known for his accuracy and stamina in his application of leg theory, Toshack was best known for being as member of Don Bradman's Invincibles that toured...
, who had been in the Test team since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, had broken down.
Amid this environment, Davidson was selected for New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
. On debut against South Australia
Southern Redbacks
The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...
, Davidson claimed the wicket of Bob McLean
Bob McLean (footballer)
Allan Robert Charles 'Bob' McLean was an Australian rules footballer who played for Port Adelaide and Norwood in the South Australian National Football League and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League . Affectionately referred to as 'Big Bob' McLean, he later became a long serving football...
with his second ball and finished with 4/32. He then made 34 with the bat as New South Wales took a 282-run lead, but was unsuccessful in the second innings, taking 0/90 as South Australia held on for a draw.
He finished the season strongly, with 19 wickets in the last three matches against Queensland
Queensland Bulls
The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...
, South Australia and Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
. This included a haul of 5/28 and 2/37 as he helped New South Wales to a win over their arch-rivals Victoria, who had defeated them earlier in the season. His debut season ended with 26 wickets at 18.73. He did not surpass his debut innings with the bat and ended with 110 runs at 15.71.
These performances earned him selection for the Australian Second XI tour of New Zealand under Bill Brown
Bill Brown (cricketer)
William Alfred "Bill" Brown, OAM was an Australian cricketer who played 22 Tests between 1934 and 1948, captaining his country in one Test. A right-handed opening batsman, his partnership with Jack Fingleton in the 1930s is regarded as one of the finest in Australian Test history...
. Most of the matches were not first-class, and in one match at Wairarapa
Wairarapa
Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...
, he showed his all round skills by taking all ten wickets for 29 and then made an unbeaten 157, helping Australia to a win by an innings and 466 runs. In the only international match against New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
for the tour, Davidson made a duck and took 0/36 in the first innings. He then took 4/24 in the second innings, including the wickets of Bert Sutcliffe
Bert Sutcliffe
Bert Sutcliffe MBE was a New Zealand Test cricketer. Sutcliffe was a successful left-hand batsman. His batting achievements on tour in England in 1949, which included four fifties and a century in the Tests, earned him the accolade of being one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year...
and Verdun Scott
Verdun Scott
Verdun John Scott, born 31 July 1916 and died at Devonport, New Zealand on 2 August 1980, was a sportsman who represented New Zealand in both Test cricket and rugby league. As of 2011 he is the only player to have done so.-Rugby league career:...
to help instigate a collapse. The hosts were 9/76, only eight runs ahead, when time ran out. He ended his maiden tour in Australian colours with nine wickets at 18.22 and 18 runs at 6.00 in three first-class matches.
With the return of the Test players for the 1950–51 season, Davidson had to perform strongly when given opportunities in order to hold his position. He started his season productively by taking 7/49 in the first innings of the opening match against Queensland
Queensland Bulls
The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...
, including the wickets of Test players Ken Archer
Ken Archer
Kenneth Alan Archer is an Australian cricketer. An opening batsman, he played domestic first-class cricket for Queensland for 10 years, from 1946-7 to 1956-7. He played in 5 Tests for the Australian cricket team in 1950 and 1951...
, Colin McCool
Colin McCool
Colin Leslie McCool was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Tests from 1946 to 1950. McCool, born in Paddington, New South Wales, was an all-rounder who bowled leg spin and googlies with a round arm action and as a lower order batsman was regarded as effective square of the wicket and against...
and Don Tallon
Don Tallon
Donald "Don" Tallon was an Australian cricketer who played 21 Test matches as a wicket-keeper between 1946 and 1953...
, but he expressed disappointment at his erratic line and length, frequently bowling full toss
Full toss
A full toss is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes any delivery that reaches the batsman without bouncing on the pitch first....
es and long hop
Long hop
A long hop is a type of inadvertent delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes a short delivery which is not especially fast, which is thus easy for the batsman to hit because he has plenty of time to observe the speed and direction of the ball after the bounce and choose his shot accordingly...
s. New South Wales won by an innings, and Davidson took four wickets in the return match, but results began to dry up thereafter. He had the opportunity to show his skills against Test opposition as New South Wales played England ahead of the Tests, but he went wicketless, and was dropped in December after the next match against Western Australia
Western Warriors
The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...
. Davidson ended the season with 14 wickets at 22.71 and 42 runs at 10.50 from four matches.
Despite another season of limited opportunities in 1951–52—he played in only four matches—Davidson continued to improve. He struggled at the outset, taking only four wickets at 41.25 in his four innings, before breaking through against a full-strength Victorian team. He broke through for his first half-century, scoring 76 before being bowled by Bill Johnston
Bill Johnston (cricketer)
William Arras Johnston was an Australian cricketer who played in forty Test matches from 1947 to 1955. A left arm pace bowler, as well as a left arm orthodox spinner, Johnston was best known as a spearhead of Don Bradman's undefeated 1948 touring team, well known as "The Invincibles"...
— at the time ranked the No. 1 bowler in the world. He then took 4/93 in the second innings, removing Test captain Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
and Australian representatives Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson (cricketer)
Ian William Geddes Johnson CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a slow off-break bowler between 1946 and 1956. Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an average of...
and Doug Ring
Doug Ring
Douglas Thomas Ring was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia in 13 Tests from 1948 to 1953...
. He then took five wickets in a match against Queensland before bowling his state to victory over Western Australia in his final match for the summer. He took 6/13 to cut down Western Australia for 50 and took 3/36 in the second innings to seal a 250-run win. Davidson ended the season with 22 wickets at 18.00 and 137 runs at 27.40.
Davidson brought himself to the verge of Test selection in 1952–53; it was the first summer during which he commanded a regular place in a full-strength New South Wales team. He took a total of 6/74 in the second match of the season against Queensland, and then impressed against the touring South African Test team. He took a total of 4/113, including batsmen Jackie McGlew
Jackie McGlew
Derrick John "Jackie" McGlew, born on 11 March 1929, Pietermaritzburg and died at Pretoria on 8 June 1998 was a cricketer who played for Natal and South Africa...
and Russell Endean
Russell Endean
William Russell Endean was a South African cricketer who played in twenty eight Tests from 1951 to 1958....
. Steady wicket-taking, combined with an all round performance of 66, 40 and 3/89 against Western Australia saw Davidson selected for the Australian XI, which took on South Africa in what was effectively a dress rehearsal for the Tests. He managed only nine with the bat, but took 5/108 in the only innings of the match. Nevertheless, he was overlooked for Test selection. He took 41 wickets at 26.75 and scored three half-centuries with the bat to total 418 runs at 34.83.
Following these consistent performances, Davidson was selected for the 1953 Ashes tour
Australian cricket team in England in 1953
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1953 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.England won the final Test to take the series 1-0 after the first four Tests were all drawn. England therefore recovered the Ashes for the first time since losing them in...
. He improved on his career best in consecutive matches against Tasmania
Tasmanian Tigers
The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
before the Australians sailed to England, scoring 87 and 90. The second effort featured a 167-run partnership with Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
. It was to be the first of many joint efforts by the pair of bowling all rounders for Australia over the next ten years. Davidson then took 3/45 with the ball, including the wickets of Miller and leading Australian batsman Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
.
Early international career
After being omitted in the opening tour match against WorcestershireWorcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
, Davidson made his debut on English soil against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
. He scored 63, featuring in a century partnership with Harvey, before taking 2/23 and 0/35 in an innings victory. In the next match against Yorkshire, he removed Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
, regarded as the best batsman in the world at the time. In the nine first-class matches leading up to the Tests, Davidson performed steadily without being spectacular. He scored two fifties and passed 20 in every completed innings to aggregate 317 runs at 45.28, and took 17 wickets at 22.12, taking more than two wickets in an innings on only one occasion. That occasion was against the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, which was a virtual England Test team, while Australia fielded their strongest possible team. In what was effectively a dress rehearsal for the Tests, Davidson took 2/17 and 3/49, removing Trevor Bailey
Trevor Bailey
Trevor Edward Bailey CBE was an England Test cricketer, cricket writer and broadcaster.An all-rounder, Bailey was known for his skilful but unspectacular batting...
, Godfrey Evans
Godfrey Evans
Thomas Godfrey Evans CBE was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England.Described by Wisden as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals in 91 Test match appearances between 1946 and 1959 and a total of 1066 in all first-class matches...
, Johnny Wardle
Johnny Wardle
Johnny Wardle was an English spin bowler of post-war cricket. His Test bowling average of 20.39, is the lowest in Test cricket by any recognised spin bowler, since World War I....
, Tom Graveney
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...
and leading batsman Denis Compton
Denis Compton
Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches, and a footballer...
.
When the Tests started at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
, Davidson was named in the playing XI. He supported the pace attack of Miller, Lindwall and Johnston in the five Tests. His debut in the First Test was unremarkable. As with most of Australia's batsmen, Davidson struggled against Alec Bedser
Alec Bedser
Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
, who broke the English Test wicket-taking record in the wet conditions, making only four and six. He took 2/22 in the first innings as the match ended in a rain affected draw. His first Test wicket was that of Hutton, caught by Benaud, and he added Evans in the latter part of the innings.
He scored a hard hitting 76 in the first innings of the Second Test at Lord's to help Australia take control, but a stubborn partnership by Bailey and Willie Watson
Willie Watson (England cricketer)
William "Willie" Watson, was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England. He was a double international, as Watson was also a footballer who played for England's national team.-Cricket career:...
saw England hang on for a draw. Davidson bowled only 24.5 overs for the match, and Wardle was his only wicket. Rainy weather greeted the players in the Third Test at Old Trafford and more than half the playing time was washed out. Davidson took 2/60 in the drawn match, removing Reg Simpson
Reg Simpson
Reginald Thomas Simpson is an English former cricketer, who played in twentry seven Tests from 1948 to 1955.-Life and career:...
and Willie Watson
Willie Watson (England cricketer)
William "Willie" Watson, was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England. He was a double international, as Watson was also a footballer who played for England's national team.-Cricket career:...
. Australia were in a good position at the start of the final day of the Fourth Test at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
, with England leading by only 78 runs with five wickets in hand. However, Bailey (38) and Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
(48) stubbornly resisted with a mixture of time-wasting and dour defence. Davidson eventually removed both, but there was not enough time remaining to secure an Australian victory. His match figures of 3/59 from 50.1 overs were in large part due to the defensive tactics of England. The fate of The Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
thus came down to the Fifth Test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. Davidson scored 22 and 21 and could not take a wicket as England won by eight wickets to regain the urn for the first time in two decades. Australia had blundered by omitting a specialist spinner, mistakenly thinking that the pitch would not spin. Davidson hit England's spinners out of the attack for a period, but succumbed to the variable bounce of the pitch.
Davidson passed 25 in the Tests only once took two wickets on three occasions. He finished the series with 182 runs at 22.75 and his sparingly used bowling yielded eight wickets at 26.50. Despite this, he was Australia's sixth-highest run-scorer and third-leading wicket-taker.
Despite his lack of performance in the Tests, Davidson showed his potential with consistent performance throughout the tour. He compiled 944 runs at 41.04 during the tour and amassed five half centuries and a century. He scored three fifties in the last month of the tour, and after missing his maiden first-class century with 95 against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
, he broke through with 104* against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
at County Ground, Taunton. He also took 50 wickets at 20.96 with the ball. Davidson was steady with the ball, never taking more than three wickets in an innings. He ranked seventh among the Australians in both run-scoring and wicket-taking.
During the tour, tensions sometimes arose between the senior players, who were war veterans and drinkers, while the younger players including Davidson tended to abstain from alcohol. Teammate Ian Craig
Ian Craig
Ian David Craig is a former Australian Test cricketer who represented Australia in 11 Tests between 1953 and 1958. A slightly built right-handed batsman, Craig holds the record for being the youngest Australian to make a first-class double century, gain Test selection and captain his country...
estimated that bus journeys to matches proceeded at an average speed of 16 km/h because of persistent stoppages outside pubs, something that frustrated the non-drinkers. In the end, the young players had to the majority of the fielding as their older colleagues were often still intoxicated during matches.
The 1953–54 season was purely domestic, with no Tests scheduled. Davidson had a modest injury-hit season, scoring 76 runs at 19.00 and taking nine wickets at 32.71 in four matches. His best was a 4/50 against Queensland, and 3/89 in a testimonial match for retiring Australian captain Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
; he removed Test team-mates Benaud, Ron Archer
Ron Archer
This article is about the cricket player. For Ron Archer see Ted WhiteRonald Graham Archer was an Australian Test cricketer who was born in Highgate Hill, Queensland...
and Graeme Hole
Graeme Hole
Graeme Blake Hole was an Australian cricketer....
.
In 1954–55 England toured Australia for five Ashes Tests. Davidson started his season well, scoring 30 and 27 not out and taking a total of 5/104 as New South Wales drew with England. His victims included leading batsmen Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
and Bill Edrich
Bill Edrich
William John "Bill" Edrich DFC was a distinguished cricketer who played for Middlesex, MCC, Norfolk and England.Edrich's three brothers, Brian, Eric and Geoff, and also his cousin, John, all played first-class cricket...
. However, Davidson succumbed to injury and missed Australia's only win of the series in the First Test, and upon his return in the Second Test, managed match figures of 2/86 and did not pass twenty in either innings as England levelled the series. He was dropped for the Third Test, but continued to perform strongly in domestic matches, including a sequence of 19 wickets in three matches. This included 4/45 including the wickets of Compton, Bailey and Graveney in a tour match against England, and a match-winning performance against arch-rivals Victoria that sealed a second successive Shield triumph with a resounding nine-wicket win in two days. He tore through the Victorians with 5/36 and 4/50, removing Harvey and Test all rounder Sam Loxton
Sam Loxton
Samuel John Everett "Sam" Loxton OBE is a former Australian cricketer, footballer and politician. Among these three pursuits, his greatest achievements were attained on the cricket field; he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951...
twice. It was his best match bowling figures in his career to date.
Davidson was recalled for the Fourth Test, but managed only a wicket as England sealed the series 4–1. However, he then took a total of 6/68 as New South Wales defeated England; it was only the second time the tourists had lost for the summer. Davidson was retained for the final Test, his first on his home ground in Sydney, but was wicketless in a rain-affected draw. His Test series had been poor, with 71 runs at 14.20 and only three wickets at 73.33 as England retained the Ashes 3–1. Davidson had not tasted victory in any of his eight Tests. His poor Test form contrasted to his performances against England in tour matches; he took 15 wicket at 15.13 in three matches outside the Tests.
His overall bowling performance was strong, with 34 wickets at 23.18, although his batting was ineffective, with only 213 runs at 15.21 and a top-score of 30.
Davidson was selected for the 1954–55 tour of the West Indies, where he injured his right ankle in a tour match against Jamaica and missed the First Test against the West Indies. Upon his recovery, he could not break into the XI and did not play in any of the Tests, which Australia won 3–0. He scored 70 runs at 35.00 and took four wickets at 51.75 in three first-class outings.
After his injury-hit Caribbean sojourn, Davidson had the 1955–56 season, which was purely domestic, to force his way back into the national team for the 1956 tour of England. Johnston had also retired, leaving an extra vacancy for a pace bowler.
He started strongly with match figures of 7/87 in a drawn match against Queensland in Brisbane. The hosts managed to hang on with three wickets in hand, after Davidson's captain had held up play and wasted 20 minutes for the running of the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
. He performed steadily for the next six matches, not taking more than two wickets in any innings, before playing a prominent role in the final match of the Sheffield Shield season against Victoria. It was then 100th anniversary of matches between the old rivals. Davidson took 6/99 in the first innings, including Harvey for 128, before adding 2/61 in the second. It helped prevent a defeat on the anniversary and sealed New South Wales' hat-trick of Shield titles.
Davidson was selected for the England tour and then took 12 wickets and scored his only half-century of the season as the Australians warmed up before sailing abroad. He ended the Australian season with 350 runs at 31.81 and 36 wickets at 25.19.
Davidson had an interrupted lead-in to the Tests. He injured himself while batting in his sixth match, against the MCC, and was unable to take any further part in the match. He was out of action for two weeks but recovered in time for the First Test at Trent Bridge. He had scored 46 runs at 11.50 and took 13 wickets at 20.92during his preparation.
In the First Test of the series at Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, Davidson removed Cowdrey before his ankle slipped in a footmark during the first innings and a bone was chipped. He was carried off with figures of 1/22 and his ankle plastered. The injury was such that he was unable to bat even with the assistance of a runner and was absent. This injury sidelined him until August.
By the time of Davidson's return, England had retained the Ashes 2–1 after annihilating Australia by an innings in consecutive Tests. Prior to this, Australia had not lost by an innings since 1938, let alone twice in a row. The Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
finger spin
Finger spin
Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin...
pairing of Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
and Tony Lock
Tony Lock
Graham Anthony Richard Lock was an English cricketer, who played primarily as a left-arm spinner. He played in forty nine Tests for England taking 174 wickets at 25.58 each.-Life and career:...
had led the decimation, taking 38 of the 40 wickets of dry dusty wickets doctored for their use. In Australia's match against Surrey before the Tests, the pair had taken 19 wickets as the tourists lost to a county side for the first time since 1912.
As a result of the finger spinners' success, Australian captain Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson (cricketer)
Ian William Geddes Johnson CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a slow off-break bowler between 1946 and 1956. Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an average of...
tried to convert Davidson into a left arm orthodox spinner. Davidson returned as Australia faced a fourth meeting with Laker and Lock, in a match against Surrey immediately after the two consecutive Test maulings. On a sticky wicket
Sticky wicket
Sticky wicket is a metaphor used to describe a difficult circumstance; it originates from difficult circumstances in the sport of cricket.-Origins:...
that played into the hands of the Surrey spinners, Australia were skittled for 143. Only Davidson, who took the attack to the pair, made 44 not out. One six that he lofted from Laker almost reached the iconic gasometer outside The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. The match was drawn, and Davidson took 2/50 including Eric Bedser
Eric Bedser
Eric Arthur Bedser was a cricket player for Surrey County Cricket Club. He was the elder identical twin brother of Sir Alec , widely regarded as one of England's top bowlers of the 20th century...
and Laker in his new role as a slow bowler.
Davidson was able to force his way back into the team for the Fifth Test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. He scored eight and took a total of 1/34 in another rain-marred draw. Johnson persisted in using Davidson as a spinner, but it was not effective. In eight matches, the ploy yielded only 12 wickets at 24.25. Johnson was criticised for this novel strategy; cricket writer Ray Robinson
Ray Robinson (cricket writer)
Raymond John Robinson was an Australian journalist and author, best known for his writings on the sport of cricket. Born in Melbourne, Robinson attended Brighton State school and joined the Melbourne's The Herald as a copyboy. Given a cadetship with the paper, he reported on Australian football...
said "I have not met one good cricketer or cricket judge who is not mystified by them [Johnson's tactics]". Davidson felt that Johnson tried to rely too heavily on the senior players and should have placed more responsibility on the likes of Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
, Ron Archer
Ron Archer
This article is about the cricket player. For Ron Archer see Ted WhiteRonald Graham Archer was an Australian Test cricketer who was born in Highgate Hill, Queensland...
and himself. Overall Davidson scored 270 runs at 27.00 with two fifties and took 26 wickets at 22.50 in England.
On the return leg to Australia, the team stopped on the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. Davidson's 37 in the inaugural one off Test against Pakistan was his first score beyond 25 in nine Tests. He was bowled sparingly with a total of 2/15 from 15 overs as Australia lost by nine wickets. A muscle problem stopped Davidson from playing against India in the First Test in Madras
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, which Australia won by an innings. He played only in the Second Test, with pacemen Miller and Ron Archer
Ron Archer
This article is about the cricket player. For Ron Archer see Ted WhiteRonald Graham Archer was an Australian Test cricketer who was born in Highgate Hill, Queensland...
injured and unavailable. It got worse for Australia as Davidson and fellow paceman Pat Crawford
Pat Crawford
William Patrick Anthony Crawford was an Australian cricketer who played in four Tests, including one in England at Lord's in 1956 and three in India in 1956–57...
were hampered by stomach bugs and a hip strains respectively. Davidson scored 16 and took match figures of 1/42; Australia were unable to finish off the Indians with their depleted attack and the match ended in a draw. Davidson was left out of the Third Test win, so his overseas tour had ended without a Test victory, and only 64 runs at 16.00 and his underused bowling yielded five wickets at 22.60. In total, he had played twelve Tests, none of them resulting in an Australian victory. His individual performances were also unimpressive despite being successful at first-class level, producing only 317 runs at 18.64 and 16 wickets at 34.06. It was to be another year before Davidson tasted victory at the highest level.
Australia's leading bowler
With captain Johnson and vice captain Miller, the main spinner and one of the two leading fast bowlers retiring upon their return from the subcontinent, Australia moved into uncharted territory and needed younger bowlers to step up following three successive series losses to England. The 1956–57 Australian season was purely domestic and a chance for the players to stake their claims to be part of Australia's future. Davidson scored 374 runs at 34.00 including three fifties and took 30 wicket at 27.50 from eight matches. His most effective effort was a 5/65 in the second innings of the match between Harvey's XI and Lindwall's XI. Davidson's effort helped set up a seven-wicket triumph for Harvey's men.Over the winter, with Test vacancies beckoning, Davidson and Benaud became training partners and decided to bowl for three hours continuously on a daily basis through the winter off season. With Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
dropped, Davidson and Benaud became Australia's leading paceman and spinner when the team for the 1957–58 tour of South Africa was announced. It was a heavy burden on Davidson, who had only taken two Test wickets in an innings four times, and three wickets in a Test match on one occasion. The team was to be led by Ian Craig
Ian Craig
Ian David Craig is a former Australian Test cricketer who represented Australia in 11 Tests between 1953 and 1958. A slightly built right-handed batsman, Craig holds the record for being the youngest Australian to make a first-class double century, gain Test selection and captain his country...
, who had played only six Tests, and at the age of just 22 years, he was the youngest ever Test captain from any country.
Davidson started the tour well, when Australia arrived in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
(now Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
) to play two tour matches against the Rhodesia
Zimbabwean cricket team
The Zimbabwean cricket team is a national cricket team representing Zimbabwe. It is administrated by Zimbabwe Cricket...
. He made an unbeaten 100 and took a total of 3/67 in the first match in Salisbury
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
, before scoring 19 and taking 5/36 and 2/22 in the second in Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
. Australia won both by an innings.
The Australians crossed the border into South Africa and Davidson scored 100 and took a total of 4/62 against Transvaal
Transvaal cricket team
Gauteng cricket team is the first-class cricket team of the province of Gauteng in South Africa....
as Craig's men started with a nine-wicket win. The next match was against a South African XI, and was effectively a dress rehearsal for the Tests. Davidson scored 34 and took a total of 7/103 as the Australians crushed the hosts by an innings. He rounded off his Test preparation with match figures of 6/35 against Border
Border cricket team
Border cricket team is the team representing the Border province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in March 1898....
and a 76 against Western Province
Western Province cricket team
Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...
.
Despite the highly productive lead-up, Davidson faltered in his first outing as Australia's Test spearhead. He conceded 1/115 in only 32 overs in the first innings as South Africa reached 9/470 in the First Test in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. With Australia 102 behind on the first innings, Davidson's tour nearly ended. Unable to cope with the 10 pm curfew imposed by team manager Jack Norton
Jack Norton
Jack Norton , was a mustachio'd American stage and film character actor who appeared in 184 films between 1934 and 1948, often playing drunks, although in real life he was a teetotaler.-Career:...
, Davidson and roommate Les Favell
Les Favell
Leslie Ernest Favell was an Australian cricketer who played in 19 Tests from 1954 to 1961. He was a strong batsman who liked to hit the ball around the ground and was a much loved character...
absconded and went sightseeing. By the time they had returned, Norton had confiscated their keys and left them a note asking them to report. The pair then went to sleep at the home of some supporters who had hosted the team for dinner the previous day.
The next day, Davidson faced dismissal from the team, but he overcame the turmoil to take 6/34, his first five wicket haul. This included a seven-over spell before lunch that yielded three wickets and reduced South Africa to 4/19, before the match ended in a draw. Davidson, Favell and their hosts all told Norton that the pair of cricketers had stayed the entire night at the home. The duo were not sent home the curfew was repealed.
The Second Test in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
saw an Australian victory, the first in Davidson's 14 Tests. He took 2/31 and 2/18 as South Africa lost by an innings after being forced to follow on. It was during this match that Davidson earned his famous reputation for injury complaints, something that became a constant source of humour; he spent so much time on the massage table that his teammates attached a plaque that read "The AK Davidson Autograph Treatment Table". Benaud reported that Davidson persistently complained to captain Craig about an injury before delivering the next ball with high pace and swing.
He then scored 123 against Natal before the Third Test in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, where he took 2/62 in a drawn match. In the Fourth Test in Johannesburg, Davidson made 62, his first Test half century in over four years, and took a total of 3/83 in a ten-wicket victory. He then took match figures of 7/55 against Griqualand West
Griqualand West cricket team
The Griqualand West cricket team is the first-class cricket team that represents the province of Griqualand West in South Africa. For the purposes of the SuperSport Series, Griqualand West has merged with Free State to form the Eagles from October 2004....
and recorded his best first-class score of 129 in a match against Western Province
Western Province cricket team
Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. He then took 5/38 to help seal another innings win.
In the Fifth Test at Port Elizabeth, Davidson took 4/44 and then 5/38 in the second innings as he and Benaud took all ten wickets and South Africa were skittled for 144. Australia won by eight wickets and took the series 3–0. It was his best Test match haul to date. He scored 127 runs at 21.17 and took 25 wickets at 17.0 in the Tests. He had success against Russell Endean
Russell Endean
William Russell Endean was a South African cricketer who played in twenty eight Tests from 1951 to 1958....
and John Waite
John Waite
John Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
, dismissing both twice. Although he was unable to score heavily in the Tests, Davidson scored four of his nine first class centuries during the tour. In all, he had taken 72 wickets at 15.13 and scored 813 runs at 54.20 for the entire tour. From this tour onwards, in 32 Tests, he was to take 170 wickets at 19.26 and score 1011 runs at 27.32 in the remainder of his career.
The 1958–59 English tour of Australia saw Davidson lead the attack for the first time in Australia. It was Australia's first series on home soil since the last English visit four years earlier and came on the back of three successive Ashes series losses. Davidson started well with match figures of 5/66 as Australia took the First Test in Brisbane by eight wickets. In the Second Test in Melbourne, Davidson took 6/64 in the first innings to help bowl out the tourists for 259 and put Australia in control. This included an opening spell in which he removed the three top order English batsmen Peter Richardson
Peter Richardson (cricketer)
Peter Edward Richardson is an English former cricketer, who played for Worcestershire, Kent and, in thirty four Tests, for England....
, Watson and Tom Graveney
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...
without conceding a run. He had Richardson caught behind from the first ball of his second over, before yorking
Yorker
Yorker is a term used in cricket that describes a ball bowled which hits the cricket pitch around the batsman's feet. When a batsman assumes a normal stance this generally means that the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsman's popping crease...
Watson with the fourth ball for duck and trapping Graveney leg before wicket
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
from the next delivery with an inswinger. This brought England captain Peter May
Peter May
-External links:* * at Cricket Archive*...
to the crease, but Davidson'a hat-trick ball was off target and no shot was offered. He later returned to remove Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
, Brian Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...
and Peter Loader
Peter Loader
Peter James Loader was an English cricketer and umpire, who played thirteen Test matches for England. He played for Surrey and Beddington Cricket Club. A whippet-thin fast bowler with a wide range of pace and a nasty bouncer, he took the first post-war Test hat-trick as part of his 6 for 36...
.
In the second innings, he bowled unchanged with Ian Meckiff
Ian Meckiff
Ian Meckiff is a former cricketer who represented Australia in 18 Tests between 1957 and 1963...
, taking 3/41, and taking two reflex catches in the leg trap from Meckiff, as England were cut down for 87 and Australia took an eight-wicket win and a 2–0 lead. Davidson's least penetrative match was the Third Test in Sydney, taking a match total of 2/84. It coincided with Australia's only non-victory of the series. Davidson scored 71 as the match ended in a draw. He took three and five wickets in the final two Tests, both of which Australia won. Davidson ended the series with 24 wickets at 19.00. With the bat, Davidson had his most productive Test series yet, scoring 180 runs at 36.00. Australia had defeated Peter May
Peter May
-External links:* * at Cricket Archive*...
's team, who were heavily favoured, with ease. According to cricket writer Gideon Haigh
Gideon Haigh
Gideon Clifford Jeffrey Davidson Haigh is an English-born Australian journalist, who writes about sport and business. He was born in London of a Yorkshire father and an Australian mother, and was raised in Geelong, Victoria.- Career :Haigh has been writing about sport and business for over...
, "Davidson had the ball on a string".
Davidson added a century in a state match against South Australia and for the entire first-class season, he totalled 431 runs at 33.15 and 47 wickets at 18.04.
The 1959–60 season saw Davidson confronted with an arduous eight Test tour of the Indian subcontinent, with three and five Tests against Pakistan and India respectively. Flat and dry pitches unconducive to fast bowling combined with oppressive heat confronted the players. On the last tour, many of the Australians had fallen ill with food positioning, and Davidson had asked Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
, the Australian Chairman of Selectors if opting out of the tour was permitted. Bradman turned him down. Davidson was consistent throughout the Pakistan series, taking four wickets in each of the three Tests, to end with 12 wickets at 24.83. He also batted solidly, with 47 and 39* in the latter two Tests to end with 90 runs at 45.00. His contributions helped Australia to a 2–0 series result; it was the first time Pakistan had lost a Test on home soil and the pair of victories were its last in Pakistan for 39 years. He had particular success against Imtiaz Ahmed, removing him four times.
In the First Test against India in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Davidson took 3/22 in the first innings, removing both openers Pankaj Roy
Pankaj Roy
Pankaj Roy was an Indian cricketer. A right-handed opening batsman, he is best known for establishing the world record opening partnership of 413 runs, together with Vinoo Mankad, against New Zealand at Chennai. The record stood until 2008. He was honoured with the Padma Shri...
and Nari Contractor
Nari Contractor
Nariman Jamshedji "Nari" Contractor is a former cricket player. He was left-handed opening batsman whose international career was ended abruptly by a serious injury....
, and captain Polly Umrigar
Polly Umrigar
Pahlan Ratanji "Polly" Umrigar was an Indian cricketer. He played first-class cricket for Bombay, and Test cricket in the Indian cricket team, mainly as a middle-order batsman but also bowling occasional medium pace and off spin. He captained the Indian team in eight Test matches from 1955 to...
to help Australia seize the initiative and bowl out the hosts for 135. He then contributed four catches in the second as Australia took a 1–0 series lead with an innings victory.
The Second Test in Kanpur saw Davidson return his career best innings and match bowling figures. On a dry pitch and in searing temperatures unfavourable for fast bowling, he took 5/31 in the first innings as India were all out for 152. He then scored 41 as Australia replied with 219. In heat above 38 degrees Celsius, he bowled unchanged for the entire day to take 7/93 from 57.3 overs in the second innings. During the match, Davidson lost around 11 kg in weight. According to the Australians, it was the "harshest cricket environment" that they had encountered. Davidson said that he felt like a "bloody zombie".
Australia were left a target of 225 for victory. Davidson fell for eight as part of a Jasu Patel
Jasu Patel
Jasubhai Motibhai Patel was an off-spinner who played Test cricket for Indian cricket team. His fame lies entirely on a single match against Australia where he took 14 wickets.-Early days:...
-inspired collapse. Patel took 14/124 and Australia were out for 105. This resulted in Australia's first loss in the fifteen Tests since Davidson began leading the attack, and their first at the hands of their hosts.
Davidson took 4/62 in the first innings of the Third Test in Delhi as Australia took a 98-run first innings lead, but he was unable to add to his tally in the second innings as the hosts' batsmen held on for a draw. He then took taking match figures of 5/69 and 5/113 in the last two matches as Australia managed to win the Fourth Test to take a hard fought 2–1 series victory. Davidson had led the way with 29 wickets at 14.86 in a country regarded as a graveyard for fast bowling—in this era, the home team's attack was dominated by spinners. In six Tests in India, Davidson had taken 30 wickets at an average of 15.77.
Tied Test
Davidson was at his all round peak during the 1960–61 series against West Indies. After taking eight wickets in the two opening matches of the season against Queensland, Davidson gave an indication of what was in store in the Tests when New South Wales played Frank WorrellFrank Worrell
Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
's tourists. He struck 88 as the hosts amassed 6/429 declared and then took three top-order wickets, removing Cammie Smith
Cammie Smith
Cameron Wilberforce Smith is a former West Indian cricketer who played in five Tests from 1960 to 1962.Smith also umpired 42 Tests and 118 ODIs....
, Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Bholalall Kanhai is a former West Indian Cricket player of Indo-Guyanese descent. He is widely considered as one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai featured in several great West Indian teams, playing with, among others, Sir Garfield Sobers, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, and Alvin...
and Gary Sobers, holder of the Test world record of 365. He ended with 4/26 as the West Indies fell for 111 and lost by an innings. He then completed his Test preparation with 122 not out against Victoria.
In the First Test against the West Indies cricket team in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Davidson showed his all round skills as well as stamina in becoming the first player to take ten wickets and accumulate more than a hundred runs in a match. On the eve of the match, Davidson broke the little finger on his bowling hand during catching practice and was unable to move it. However, he decided to play after Bradman gave a motivational speech to the team ahead of the match.
On the first two days, he bowled thirty (eight ball) overs to take 5/135 in the first innings as the West Indies reached 453. He did much of the heavy lifting in removing four of the West Indies' batsmen, Conrad Hunte
Conrad Hunte
Sir Conrad Cleophas Hunte, KA was a Barbadian cricketer. Hunte played 44 Test matches as an opening batsman for the West Indies.-Early life and career:...
, Smith, Kanhai and Worrell. Australia took a small lead of 52 after reaching 505, with Davidson contributing 44. In the second innings, Davidson was left with a heavier workload after his new ball partner Meckiff broke down after four overs. He took 6/87 from 24.6 overs as the West Indies were restricted to 284. he was again responsible for cutting down the leading batsmen, removing Smith, Kanhai, Sobers and Worrell. This left Australia 233 runs to win with 312 minutes available on the last day. Former Australian Test batsman and journalist Jack Fingleton
Jack Fingleton
John "Jack" Henry Webb Fingleton OBE was an Australian cricketer who was trained as a journalist and became a political and cricket commentator after the end of his playing career...
commented that "One sensed that the West Indies realised they were facing defeat". However, the tourists had other ideas.
Although time was plentiful, the pitch had begun to deteriorate and Australia look defeated after they had fallen to 5/57, prompting Davidson to join local batsman Ken Mackay
Ken Mackay
Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....
at the crease. They took the score to 92 when Mackay fell and Australia's chances of winning looked remote as Davidson and Benaud reached tea at 6/109 with 124 runs still required with only the tailenders were to follow. Despite this, Benaud told chairman of selectors Don Bradman that he would still be going for an improbable victory in accordance with his policy of aggressive strategy. With an attacking partnership, the pair took Australia to within sight of the target. The pair added 50 runs in 55 minutes. Davidson hooked leading paceman Wes Hall
Wes Hall
Wesley Winfield Hall is a Barbadian former cricketer and politician. A tall, strong and powerfully built man, Hall was a genuine fast bowler and despite his very long run up, he was renowned for his ability to bowl long spells. Hall played 48 Test matches for the West Indies from 1958 to 1969...
repeatedly and Benaud attacked the spinners when Worrell took Hall off. Both men were noted for their hitting ability and viewed attack as their most effective chance of survival. Davidson hit four fours from the leg spin
Leg spin
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the ball to spin from right to left in the cricket pitch, at the point of delivery. When the ball bounces, the spin causes the ball to deviate sharply from right to left, that...
of Sonny Ramadhin
Sonny Ramadhin
Sonny Ramadhin was a West Indian cricketer, and a dominant bowler of the 1950s. He was the first West Indian cricketers of Indian origin, and was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1951.- Biography and career :...
, and the deficit dwindled to 60 with one hour remaining and 27 with 30 minutes to go. The pair took 17 runs from the next two overs, and regular boundaries and quickly run singles took Australia into what looked like a victorious position. They took the score to 226 with a seventh wicket partnership of 134. Only seven runs were required with four wickets in hand as time was running short. Benaud hit a ball into the covers and the pair attempted a quick single, but a direct hit from Joe Solomon
Joe Solomon
Joseph Stanislaus Solomon is a former West Indian cricketer who played 27 Tests for the West Indies. He played Test cricket from 1958 to 1965, scoring 1326 runs, mainly from number six and seven in the batting line-up...
saw Davidson run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
for his highest Test score of 80. Davidson reflected "I was as dirty as anyone ever has been". Australia needed six runs from the final over with three wickets in hand but Benaud was caught and the last two players fell to run outs while attempting the winning run. The match was tie in Test cricket, and Davidson had achieved his unprecedented feat despite carrying a broken finger into the match. Bradman joked that he should break his finger before every match.
After this marathon effort, Davidson scored 81 as New South Wales defeated the tourists by an innings for the second time in the space of the month. He was only asked to bowl five overs after his efforts in Brisbane.
Davidson returned to a full workload as he helped Australia take a 1–0 series lead in the Second Test in Melbourne. He scored 35 in the first innings of 348, before taking 6/53 in the West Indies' reply of 181. He removed Joe Solomon
Joe Solomon
Joseph Stanislaus Solomon is a former West Indian cricketer who played 27 Tests for the West Indies. He played Test cricket from 1958 to 1965, scoring 1326 runs, mainly from number six and seven in the batting line-up...
, before removing the established batsmen Seymour Nurse
Seymour Nurse
Seymour MacDonald Nurse is a Barbadian former cricketer. Nurse played 29 Test matches for the West Indies between 1960 and 1969. A powerfully built right-hand batsman and an aggressive, if somewhat impetuous, shotmaker, Nurse preferred to bat in the middle order but was often asked to open the...
and Kanhai to trigger a collapse. This allowed Benaud to enforce the follow on. Davidson took a further 2/51 in the second innings to set up a seven wicket victory. The teams moved to Sydney for the next Test, where Davidson's unhappy experiences on his home ground continued. The West Indies batted first and made 339; Davidson took 5/80, including Smith, Kanhai and Sobers. Davidson made 16 as Australia replied with 202 and were in trouble when Meckiff was forced off the field early in the tourists' second innings with injury. Davidson lifted and removed Hunte, Kanhai and Sobers for single figures with the new ball. However, he too was forced off with a hamstring tear. With Australia two men down, the West Indies recovered to 326 and set the hosts 464 for victory, which would have required a world record fourth innings score. Davidson managed only one as Australia lost by 222 runs. He had not had a Test win in Sydney in three attempts, the only Australian ground where he had not played in a victory. After missing the Fourth Test because of a month on the sidelines to recuperate from the hamstring tear, he returned for the Fifth Test with the series level at 1–1. He took match figures of 6/173, including five wickets with late swing in the second innings to help Australia secure the victory. Davidson scored 28 and 12 as Benaud's men stumbled in the run-chase before scraping home by two wickets.
In three and a half Tests, he accumulated 212 runs at 30.28 and totalled 33 wickets against the Caribbean visitors at a cost of 18.55, when the next best average of any bowler was 33. Davidson was regarded as the main factor in Australia's 2–1 series win. He ended the first-class season with 551 runs at 55.10 and 45 wickets at 20.62.
The 1961 tour of England was Davidson's overseas farewell, and he had not been prolific on his two previous visits, never managing to take more than four wickets in an innings and toalling only 76 in 40 first-class matches.
He broke through for his first five-wicket haul on English soil in his fifth match against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
, taking 5/63 in the first innings and scoring an unbeaten 68. He added 90 in the next match against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
before facing the MCC at Lord's in the traditional dress rehearsal for the Tests. He took 6/46 and 3/58 as Australia took victory. His wickets included leading Test batsmen Cowdrey and Ken Barrington
Ken Barrington
Kenneth Frank Barrington , better known as Ken Barrington, played for the English cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, well known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings "batting with bulldog...
. Davidson headed into the Tests with 257 runs at 42.83 and 26 wickets at 22.35 from eight matches.
Despite this form, his Test campaign started poorly with an ineffective 1/130 in the drawn First Test at Edgbaston
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
. He then broke down with a back injury in a match against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
and looked unlikely to play. With Benaud already sidelined with a shoulder injury, Australia looked severely weakened without their two main bowlers. Despite again complaining about frailties of his body, Davidson vowed to play and produce a special performance for friend and stand-in captain Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
in the Second Test at Lord's.
Davidson took copious amounts of capsulin, and he took his position in what was known as the "Battle of the Ridge" due to the presence of a ridge on the surface that yielded erratic bounce. He exploited this in the first innings, beating Raman Subba Row
Raman Subba Row
Raman Subba Row is an English former cricketer who played for England, Cambridge University, Surrey and Northamptonshire.-Life and career:...
three times in the first over and striking Geoff Pullar
Geoff Pullar
Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....
in the shoulder. He then bowled Pullar and struck Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
twice in the chest. Dexter then hit a ball to short leg but was dropped. Davidson then removed Peter May
Peter May
-External links:* * at Cricket Archive*...
and Barrington before ending with 5/42 as Australia dismissed the hosts for 206 to seize the initiative. Davidson credited the performance to the capsulin, which flowed into his lower body and in his own words, put his "backside on fire".
Australia took a first innings lead of 134 and Davidson removed Subba Row and Barrington with the new ball in the second innings to end with 2/50 and help set up a five wicket victory. Davidson was at the crease when the wining runs were scored, albeit at the non-striker's end. It was the first time Davidson had tasted Test victory on English soil in three tours.
He then took 5/63 in the first innings of the Third Test at Headingley, removing Subba Row, May, Barrington and Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
at the top of the order, but Australia struggled with the bat and England lost only two wickets in reaching 62 in the second innings to level the series. Davidson took one of those wickets, removing Subba Row.
Davidson played a large role in the Fourth Test Old Trafford. Victory would give Australia an unassailable 2–1 series lead and retention of the Ashes. A loss would mean that Australia would need to win the Fifth and final Test to prevent England from reclaiming them.
Australia started poorly, and Davidson made a duck as the tourists were dismissed for 190. Davidson then took 3/67, removing Pullar, May and Subba Row as England took a sizeable 177-run lead.
This appeared to be a match-winning lead after Australia had lost three wickets in quick succession to David Allen
David Allen (cricketer)
David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...
, leaving them at 9/334 with only a 157 run lead. Last man Graham McKenzie
Graham McKenzie
Graham Douglas "Garth" McKenzie is a former Australian and Western Australian cricketer. He was a fast bowler. First selected to play for Australia at age of 19, he toured England in 1961 under Richie Benaud...
came to the crease to join Davidson, who had been in poor form with the bat, having failed to pass 22 in the past five matches in six weeks. Davidson sais that "I was shaking like I had Parkinson's".
May brought on the part-time spin of Brian Close
Brian Close
Dennis Brian Close , usually known as Brian Close, is a former cricketer who is the youngest man ever to play Test cricket for England. He was picked for the Test team to play against New Zealand, in July 1949, when he was 18 years old. Close went on to play 22 Test matches for England,...
and 15 runs came in two overs, helping Davidson to feel more at ease. At the time, Allen had bowled 25 maidens in 37 overs. Davidson responded to the situation by hitting Allen out of the attack. In Allen's 10th over for the day, Davidson took 20 runs. He lofted an off drive over the boundary for six, and drove through the covers for four from both the front and back foot. Davidson then hit the bowler out of the stadium onto the adjacent railway lines. Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
came on and struck Davidson on the foot with a yorker
Yorker
Yorker is a term used in cricket that describes a ball bowled which hits the cricket pitch around the batsman's feet. When a batsman assumes a normal stance this generally means that the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsman's popping crease...
. Davidson responded with a three and a cut for four that brought up Australia's 400. He ended with a hard-hitting 77 not out, after a final wicket partnership of 98 in 102 minutes. This extended Australia's lead to 256 on the last day and gave them hope of stopping England from winning the match. England looked to be heading towards victory with seven wickets in hand and less than 100 runs required, but a Benaud-inspired collapse saw Australia home by 54 runs. Davidson knocked Brian Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...
's off stump out of the ground to end the match and ended with 2/50. It was Australia's first victory at Old Trafford since 1902 and sealed the series.
He ended his final Test series on foreign soil with combined figures of 4/150 in the Fifth Test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, which was drawn. Davidson finished the series with 23 wickets at 24.87 and 151 runs at 30.20. He was again Australia's leading bowler on tour.
Davidson bade farewell to the English first-class scene with a match-winning display with both bat and ball against AER Gilligan's XI. He took 3/45 and scored 65 and 60, helping Australia to scrape home by three wickets.
For his efforts, Davidson was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
in 1962. He was also awarded an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
Davidson was in strong all round form in the 1961–62 Australian season, which was a purely domestic one. Against Victoria in Sydney, he scored 106 in a hard hitting innings with the tail. He made 58 of the 59 runs added in a last wicket partnership with Doug Ford, the other being a leg bye. The partnership lasted only 44 balls and Davidson managed to farm the strike and face 41 of these. The effort helped to set up a ten-wicket win. The following week against Western Australia
Western Warriors
The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...
in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, he made 108 after New South Wales had slumped to 6/38 to help the visitors recover to 218. New South Wales struggled in their second innings and Western Australia needed only 175 for victory. However, Davidson took his career best innings bowling figures of 7/31 to bowl out the hosts for 106 and seize a victory. In both matches against Queensland, Davidson took four quick wickets in the second innings to secure narrow victories after bold declarations. New South Wales won the Shield in that season with 64 of a maximum possible 80 points, playing aggressive cricket under Benaud. It was their ninth title in a row. Davidson was a key factor in the dominance, scoring 521 runs at 40.07 and taking 42 wickets at 13.62.
Farewell and legacy
At the start of the season, Davidson announced that the 1962-63 Ashes series against England was to be his last in the international arena, citing family and business reasons for his retirement. He started the season with half-centuries in the three consecutive innings ahead of the Tests. The third of these was in a state match that resulted in an innings victory over England.However, he started the Tests slowly, failing to take a wicket in the first innings of the First Test at Brisbane before securing 3/43 in the second as the match was drawn. He removed Barrington, Pullar and David Sheppard
David Sheppard
David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...
. However he returned to form with 96 and 4/80 against South Australia, and then added a milestone to his first-class career with a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
against Western Australia in Perth. Having taken a wicket with the first ball of the innings, Davidson proceeded to bowl both Barry Shepherd
Barry Shepherd
Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965....
and John Parker before Russell Waugh was caught by Norm O'Neill
Norm O'Neill
Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958...
in the first innings. He ended with 5/40 and took 2/32 in the second innings as the visitors completed an innings victory.
In the Second Test at Melbourne, Davidson made 40 in Australia's first innings of 316. and then captured 6/75 to restrict England's lead to 15. Australia then 248 with Davidson contributing 17, but he went wicketless in the second innings as England successfully reached their target with seven wickets in hand to take a 1–0 series lead. Australia's victory in the Third Test at Sydney, was Davidson's first Test victory on his home ground, and he made a major contribution with bowling figures of 4/54 and 5/25; the latter effort included the wickets of Pullar, Sheppard and Dexter to precipitate a collapse that saw England all out for 104. This left Australia with a victory target of only 65, which was reached just before the beginning of a heavy thunderstorm that would have caused the remainder of the match to be abandoned, thus saving England from defeat.
Davidson struck 46 runs in the first innings of the Fourth Test in Adelaide, then tore his hamstring muscle after bowling only 3.4 overs. Australia, with a bowler short, was unable to force a win without him. The Fifth Test was on his home ground at Sydney with the series locked 1–1. He captured 3/43 and 3/80, taking a wicket with his final ball in Test cricket when Alan Smith
Alan Smith (cricketer)
Alan Christopher Smith, known as A. C. Smith is an English former Test cricketer, who appeared in six Tests for England. Primarily a wicket-keeper, Smith was also a capable right-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm seam bowler...
was caught at slip by Bob Simpson
Bob Simpson (cricketer)
Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...
. This left Australia with a target of 241 in 60 overs, but there was to be no fairytale finish as the match ended in a draw.
The Ashes series was the only one of seven series that Australia failed to win since Davidson became the team's frontline strike bowler in 1957–58. Of the 33 Tests in this period, Australia won 16, lost four, drew 12 and tied one. Davidson missed one of the drawn games through injury and broke down mid-match in another two. In the five years that he and Benaud led Australia's bowling attack, the pair totalled 333 wickets; Davidson 170 at 19.25 and Benaud 163 at 25, and were a major part in Australia's return to the forefront of world cricket. This came after the first four years of Davidson's career saw Australia win none and lose seven matches out of twelve. Often bowling in tandem, Davidson's accuracy also forced opposition batsmen to attack Benaud, leading them to perish from the pressure to raise the run rate. In the four years after Davidson retired, Australia struggled without his wicket-taking ability. Only one of the six series was won and two were lost; in all Australia managed six wins and eight losses in 30 Tests. Davidson was at his best when Australia was on her knees; In the four Test losses during the last five years of his career, he took 32 wickets at an average of just 13.9 including a ten wicket haul. In the Tied Test, he took eleven wickets, the other ten wicket haul in his Test career.
After cricket
In Sydney Grade Cricket, he scored 4,302 runs at 37.08 and took 348 wickets at 13.69. He later served as a selector for the Australian team from 1979 to 1984, and after serving as a vice president for three years, in 1970 became president of the New South Wales Cricket AssociationNew South Wales Cricket Association
The New South Wales Cricket Association is a sporting club who administer cricket in New South Wales, based at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Their trading name is Cricket NSW....
. At the age of 41, he was the youngest person to have held the post. Davidson held the post until 2003. Davidson was one of the trustees of the SCG from 1978 to 1998, during which time floodlights were installed at the ground.
Davidson has held positions on the board of directors of a variety of organisations, sporting, medical, philanthropic and corporate. He is the chairman of Freshfood Australia Holdings, and was the president of Surf Lifesaving Australia from 1984 to 2002. He served as a member of the New South Wales Sport Advisory Council from 1988 to 2008, and the national equivalent from 1977 to 1981, and served as a director of the ANZAC Health and Research Foundation from 1994 to 2003. He has held positions with the Australian Red Cross
Australian Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross is one of the many national Red Cross societies around the world. The Australian organisation was established in 1914, nine days after the commencement of World War I, by Karen Tenenbaum, when she formed a branch of the British Red Cross.the organisation grew at a rapid rate...
and Legacy Australia
Legacy Australia
Legacy is an Australian organisation, established in 1923 by ex-servicemen. The organisation has the aim of caring for the dependents of deceased Australian service men and women. The dependants of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Malayan emergency and Vietnam War deceased are cared for...
in the past.
He also served as the chairman of the Rothmans National Sports Foundation for six years. He served on the New South Wales Olympic Council from 1980 to 1996. He published his autobiography Fifteen Paces in 1963, a reference to the length of his bowling run.
Davidson married Betty Patricia McKinley in 1952. Their two sons were born in 1953 and 1955 when he was on tour in England and the West Indies respectively. He was named as the New South Wales Father of the Year in 1982. Davidson worked as a teller for the Commonwealth Bank from 1947 to 1974.
A suburban cricket & Australian rules football ground in Alexandria
Alexandria, New South Wales
Alexandria is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Alexandria is located 4 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, in Sydney's inner-west, is named after Davidson.
Test match performance
Key: *–not outNot out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
| Batting | Bowling | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition | Matches | Runs | Average | High Score | 100 / 50 | Runs | Wickets | Average | Best (Inns) |
| England | 25 | 750 | 24.19 | 77* | 0/3 | 1996 | 84 | 23.76 | 6/64 |
| India | 6 | 109 | 18.16 | 41 | 0/0 | 473 | 30 | 15.76 | 7/93 |
| Pakistan | 4 | 130 | 32.50 | 47 | 0/0 | 313 | 14 | 22.35 | 4/42 |
| South Africa | 5 | 127 | 21.16 | 62 | 0/1 | 425 | 25 | 27.00 | 6/34 |
| West Indies | 4 | 212 | 30.28 | 80 | 0/1 | 612 | 33 | 18.54 | 6/53 |
| Overall | 44 | 1328 | 24.59 | 80 | 0/5 | 3819 | 186 | 20.53 | 7/93 |