On this day, back in 1929, former Australian bowler Alan Davidson was born. He has been known as one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of cricket and has taken his side to the pinnacle of the level to get magnificent wins. Notably, he was strongly built, standing six feet tall. Davidson has been known for his hard-hitting power, which yielded too many long-hit sixes.
The star cricketer’s bowling was the mainstay of Aussie pace bowling in the 1950s and early 1960s, where he went on to be known as one of the finest pace bowlers in the world. His classical bowling allowed him to win the matches single-handedly.
Speaking about his cricketing journey, the star all-rounder made his debut against Worcestershire, where he didn’t get the chance to play in his opening match. However, he got the chance to make his presence felt against Leicestershire, where he hammered 63 runs while stitching the stand with Harvey. However, later, he went on to become the best batter in the world after his stint against Yorkshire.
The left-handed batter got the chance to make his debut in a red-ball game on June 11, 1953, against England. However, his Test debut wasn’t memorable as he went on to struggle against Alec Bedser, who had shattered the English Test wicket record in the wet conditions, making only one four and six. Following the same, he took 2/22 in his first inning of the game, but the match was washed out owing to heavy rainfall.
However, later, he made a hard-hitting 76 runs to keep Australia in the dominant spot in the second Test match, but the magnificent stand between Bailey and Willie saw England manage to draw the game. He only got the chance to bowl 24.5 overs while picking up just one wicket. Meanwhile, he worked on his classic form and built a strong name in Australian history. Davidson died in Sydney on October 30, 2021, aged 92.
Also read: New Zealand star fast bowler Lockie Ferguson was born in 1991