Cricket great Alan Davidson dies at 92

2 years ago 255

Australia has mislaid its 2nd cricketing large successful arsenic galore days, with the quality that Alan Davidson has passed away, aged 92.

Davidson, for whom the NSW statewide boys precocious schoolhouse cricket contention is named after, played 44 Tests for Australia and is regarded arsenic 1 of the champion left-arm bowlers of each time.

A storied vocation saw him instrumentality 186 trial wickets astatine a precise tidy mean of 20.53, portion averaging 24.59 with the bat.

Davidson played successful the celebrated Tied Test successful 1960, wherever helium recorded his highest batting people astatine that level, and enactment connected an Australian grounds seventh-wicket concern with skipper Richie Benaud.

He was named arsenic 1 of the 5 Wisden Cricketers of the Year successful 1962, received an MBE successful 1964 and became and a Member of the Order of Australia successful 1987.

He's besides successful the Sport Australia, Australian cricket and ICC Halls of Fame.

"Alan Davidson's passing is simply a bittersweet infinitesimal for Australian cricket and for cricket crossed the world," CA seat Richard Freudenstein said.

"Alan was a colossal fig successful our game, not lone arsenic 1 of the finest players to person represented Australia and NSW, but for the affirmative power helium exerted crossed the crippled arsenic an administrator, mentor and benefactor.

"The tremendous accomplishment and the boundless tone with which Alan embraced cricket and beingness embodied everything that is large astir the game. He volition stay a shining illustration for each subordinate who follows successful his footsteps.

"On behalf of Cricket Australia, and each those who benefitted from Alan's immense publication crossed Australian cricket, I connection my deepest condolences to the Davidson household arsenic good Alan's galore adjacent friends, colleagues and erstwhile teammates."

Davidson scored 9 archetypal people centuries astatine an mean of 32.86, portion taking astir 700 wickets.

He made his debut for New South Wales successful 1949, and during his vocation the authorities experienced 11 Sheffield Shield winning seasons, including 9 successful a enactment from 1953-54 to 1961-62.

"Alan Davidson was 1 of New South Wales' top ever cricketers and we are highly saddened to perceive of his passing," Cricket NSW CEO Leo Germon said.

"From everyone astatine Cricket NSW and each of those who benefitted from Alan's monolithic publication to the sport, I'd similar to walk connected my condolences to his household and friends.

"Alan's engagement successful cricket was acold greater than conscionable his outstanding playing vocation and his bequest volition unrecorded connected successful the authorities for galore years to come.

"He was a fantastic player, administrator, mentor and benefactor, but astir of each helium was a man of the game."

The bittersweet quality astir Davidson comes little than a time aft Ashley Mallett, 1 of Australia's top rotation bowlers, died astatine the property of 76.

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