George Davidson (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
George Arthur Davidson was an English
cricket
er who played for Derbyshire
between 1886 and 1898 and for Marylebone Cricket Club
between 1888 and 1898. A useful all-rounder, he scored over 5500 runs and took 621 wickets in his first class career.
Davidson was born in Brimington
, Derbyshire
, the son of Josh Davidson
, a coal miner and his wife Elizabeth. His father played one game annually for Derbyshire from 1871 to 1875.
Davidson's first-class career began for Derbyshire in the 1886 season
playing in the first match of the season against Marylebone Cricket Club
, a game where he played in the lower order. He played regularly for the rest of the season. In the 1887 season
he topped the batting and bowling figures for the club, scoring the first two half-centuries of his career and taking three five wicket overs. Derbyshire lost first class status in 1888 and Davidson's few first-class appearances in the subsequent six years were mainly for MCC
. He scored two further half-centuries, once in 1890 and once in 1892. He continued to carry his colours for Derbyshire being top wicket-taker every season between 1889
and 1893
.
In the 1894 season
Davidson played in nineteen first-class games for the re-promoted Derbyshire side although they did not play in the County Championship until the following season. In the season he achieved ten 5 wicket innings and three 10-wicket games. In the 1895 season
Derbyshire finished fifth, and Davidson achieved career-best single-innings bowling figures of 9-39, against a strong Warwickshire
batting side on a pitch better than most of the period. Davidson in 1895 achieved 9 5 wicket innings and three 10-wicket games and became the first English cricketer since W.G. Grace in 1886 to achieve the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets. He played for the Players at Lord's though without success even on a fiery pitch against some brilliant amateur batting. But for the special portrait of Grace, George Davidson night have been a Cricketer of the Year
in the 1896 Wisden.
In the 1896 season
, Davidson made his highest first-class score of 274 against Lancs. This innings was over 150 runs greater than any other tally he recorded during his first-class career, and remains as of 2007 Derbyshire's best single innings from an individual batsman in first-class cricket. In the same year he also managed five 5-wicket innings and Derbyshire came seventh in the Championship table. In the 1897 season
he scored 121 against Notts and took four 5-wicket innings. In the 1898 season
he took 15-116 in a match against Essex
, the fourth-best bowling analysis in a match for Derbyshire, though Essex won easily on a fiery pitch. He took seven other 5-wicket innings and scored 108 against Hants. Derbyshire finished joint-ninth in the 1898 season, debuting Billy Bestwick
.
Davidson was a right-handed batsman and played 260 innings in 158 first class matches, He made 5546 runs with an average of 23.80 and a top score of 274. He was a right-arm medium-fast bowler and took 621 first-class wickets at an average of 18.26. He had ten 10-wicket matches and 43 5-wicket innings with a best performance of 9 for 39.
Davidson died in Tividale
at the age of 32 from pneumonia
, following on influenza
shortly beforehand. At the time it was thought he would continue to play for many more years and his bowling average
for 1898 was even better than in 1895, in spite of very poor support.
As well as his father, his brother Frank
also played for Derbyshire
during the 1890s.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 who played for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
between 1886 and 1898 and for 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...
between 1888 and 1898. A useful all-rounder, he scored over 5500 runs and took 621 wickets in his first class career.
Davidson was born in Brimington
Brimington
Brimington is a civil parish within the borough of Chesterfield in north-east Derbyshire, England. The town of Staveley is to the east, and Hollingwood is nearby...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, the son of Josh Davidson
Joseph Davidson
Joseph Davidson was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1871 and 1874. He was a member of the team that played Derbyshire's first match in May 1871....
, a coal miner and his wife Elizabeth. His father played one game annually for Derbyshire from 1871 to 1875.
Davidson's first-class career began for Derbyshire in the 1886 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1886
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1886 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifteen years and was the penultimate season before they lost first class status for seven years.-1886 season:...
playing in the first match of the season against 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...
, a game where he played in the lower order. He played regularly for the rest of the season. In the 1887 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1887
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1887 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixteen years and was the last season before they lost first class status for seven years.-1887 season:...
he topped the batting and bowling figures for the club, scoring the first two half-centuries of his career and taking three five wicket overs. Derbyshire lost first class status in 1888 and Davidson's few first-class appearances in the subsequent six years were mainly for MCC
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...
. He scored two further half-centuries, once in 1890 and once in 1892. He continued to carry his colours for Derbyshire being top wicket-taker every season between 1889
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1889
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1889 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing nineteen years. Derbyshire's matches were not considered to be first class in this season. The club had lost first class status after 1887 and did not regain it until 1894, the year...
and 1893
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1893
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1893 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for twenty two years. Derbyshire's matches were not considered to be first class in this season. The club had lost first class status after 1887 and did not regain it until the following...
.
In the 1894 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1894
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1894 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for twenty three years. Derbyshire's matches were re-accorded first class status in this season but they did not start to take part in the County Championship until the following...
Davidson played in nineteen first-class games for the re-promoted Derbyshire side although they did not play in the County Championship until the following season. In the season he achieved ten 5 wicket innings and three 10-wicket games. In the 1895 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1895
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1895 was the first season in which the English county cricket club Derbyshire played in the County Championship which had been established in 1890. The club settled their place by coming fifth with five championship wins. It was the club's 25th season although the...
Derbyshire finished fifth, and Davidson achieved career-best single-innings bowling figures of 9-39, against a strong Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire 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 Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
batting side on a pitch better than most of the period. Davidson in 1895 achieved 9 5 wicket innings and three 10-wicket games and became the first English cricketer since W.G. Grace in 1886 to achieve the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets. He played for the Players at Lord's though without success even on a fiery pitch against some brilliant amateur batting. But for the special portrait of Grace, George Davidson night have been a Cricketer 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 the 1896 Wisden.
In the 1896 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1896
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1896 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for twenty five years. It was their second season in the County Championship and they came seventh.-1896 season:...
, Davidson made his highest first-class score of 274 against Lancs. This innings was over 150 runs greater than any other tally he recorded during his first-class career, and remains as of 2007 Derbyshire's best single innings from an individual batsman in first-class cricket. In the same year he also managed five 5-wicket innings and Derbyshire came seventh in the Championship table. In the 1897 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1897
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1897 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for twenty six years. It was their third season in the County Championship and they came fourteenth after failing to win a match..-1897 season:...
he scored 121 against Notts and took four 5-wicket innings. In the 1898 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1898
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1898 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for twenty-seven years. It was their fourth season in the County Championship and they won three matches to finish ninth in the Championship table.-1898 season:Derbyshire played...
he took 15-116 in a match against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex 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 Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
, the fourth-best bowling analysis in a match for Derbyshire, though Essex won easily on a fiery pitch. He took seven other 5-wicket innings and scored 108 against Hants. Derbyshire finished joint-ninth in the 1898 season, debuting Billy Bestwick
Billy Bestwick
William Bestwick was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1898 and 1926. He was a demon medium-fast bowler who took over 1400 wickets for the county, including 10 in one innings...
.
Davidson was a right-handed batsman and played 260 innings in 158 first class matches, He made 5546 runs with an average of 23.80 and a top score of 274. He was a right-arm medium-fast bowler and took 621 first-class wickets at an average of 18.26. He had ten 10-wicket matches and 43 5-wicket innings with a best performance of 9 for 39.
Davidson died in Tividale
Tividale
- History :The village was in the parish of St Michael named after the church built there. It was created in 1878 as an extension of the town of Tipton in the county of Staffordshire, England...
at the age of 32 from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, following on influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
shortly beforehand. At the time it was thought he would continue to play for many more years and his 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...
for 1898 was even better than in 1895, in spite of very poor support.
As well as his father, his brother Frank
Frank Davidson
Frank Davidson was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire between 1897 and 1899.Davidson was born in Brimington, Derbyshire, the son of Josh Davidson, a coal miner and his wife Elizabeth. His father played one game annually for Derbyshire from 1871 to 1875.Davidson's...
also played for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
during the 1890s.
External links
- George Davidson at Cricket Archive