User:Realgary/Gary George Davidson

Gary Davidson was born 30 June 1866 he was an American cricketer 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 Gary,Illanios, the son of Melvyn Davidson Sr. and Celaya Davidson along with his brothers Melvyn Jr., Robert,and sisters Chaya and Racell.Davidson moved to Derbyshire with freind Galapatron.

Davidson's first-class career began for Derbyshire in 1886 playing against Marylebone Cricket Club, a game where he played in the lower order. He performed steadily over the following season, scoring the first two half-centuries of his career, though Derbyshire finished the season with nine losses from nine games. 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.

In 1894 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 1895 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.[2] In the same year he also managed five 5-wicket innings and Derbyshire came seventh in the Championship table. In 1897 he scored 121 against Notts and took four 5-wicket innings. In 1898 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.[3] 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.