Alan Davidson (cricketer, born 1929)

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. 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. 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. He did not surpass his debut innings with the bat and ended with 110 runs at 15.71. Most of the matches were not first-class, He then took 4/93 in the second innings, 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. including the wickets of Miller and leading Australian batsman Neil Harvey. == Early international career ==

After being omitted in the opening tour match against Worcestershire, 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 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. 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. Davidson took 2/60 in the drawn match, 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. 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, 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. The 1953–54 season was purely domestic, with no Tests scheduled. 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 retained for the final Test, his first on his home ground in Sydney, 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 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, He performed steadily for the next six matches, not taking more than two wickets in any innings, Davidson took 6/99 in the first innings, 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. which Australia won by an innings. 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. == Australia's leading bowler ==

in his last ten innings. The blue dots indicate an innings where he remained not out. Australia moved into uncharted territory and needed younger bowlers to step up following three successive series losses to England. 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. 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. The next day, Davidson faced dismissal from the team, before the match ended in a draw. 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. 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. This brought England captain Peter May to the crease, but Davidson'a hat-trick ball was off target and no shot was offered. 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 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. 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. he took 5/31 in the first innings as India were all out for 152. He then scored 41 as Australia replied with 219. 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. == 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, He ended with 4/26 as the West Indies fell for 111 and lost by an innings. 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 took 6/87 from 24.6 overs as the West Indies were restricted to 284. However, the tourists had other ideas. 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. 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. 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. 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 the first tie in Test cricket, and Davidson had achieved his unprecedented feat despite carrying a broken finger into the match. During that same tied test match, he set a new record for becoming the first player to complete a double of 100 runs and 11 wickets in a same test match. The record was later achieved by only three other men in test cricket history including Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Shakib Al Hasan. 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 lifted and removed Hunte, Kanhai and Sobers for single figures with the new ball. Davidson managed only one as Australia lost by 222 runs. Davidson scored 28 and 12 as Benaud's men stumbled in the run-chase before scraping home by two wickets. 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. Davidson was at the crease when the winning runs were scored, albeit at the non-striker's end. having failed to pass 22 in the past five matches in six weeks. He ended with a hard-hitting 77 not out, after a final wicket partnership of 98 in 102 minutes. Davidson knocked Brian Statham's off stump out of the ground to end the match and ended with 2/50. 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. 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 ended with 5/40 and took 2/32 in the second innings as the visitors completed an innings victory. 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. 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. 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. == 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, Davidson also served as the chairman of the Rothmans National Sports Foundation for six years. There is also a suburban cricket and soccer oval in Wyoming, New South Wales, on the Central Coast that is named after Davidson, as well as a cricket and rugby field located in Homebush. In 2013 Davidson appeared in a television commercial for his former employer, the Commonwealth Bank. Davidson appears as an aged dog walker watching a young boy practise his bowling. == Personal life ==

Davidson married Betty Patricia McKinley in 1952. ==Honours==

Davidson was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1962. and a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1987. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1988, the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2004, and the ICC Hall of Fame in 2011. He received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000. == Test match performance ==