Alan Davidson (cricketer) - Early Years

Early Years

The son of Leslie Keith Davidson and Hilda Aileen Clifton, Davidson grew up in Lisarow, New South Wales (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 tosses and long hops. 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.