Alan Davidson (cricketer) - Australia's Leading Bowler

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 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.