Davies joins Somerset to further hopes of England recall

FORMER England wicketkeeper Steven Davies will be a Somerset man for the next three years, joining the county after calling time on his Surrey career.

Davies, 30, has made eight ODI appearances for the Three Lions the last of which came in 2011. He has also represented his country in five T20Is.

He will leave the Oval at the end of the season having rejected a new two-year deal. The gloveman has been second-choice keeper to Ben Foakes at the Division One side this summer.

Davies, who is set to make his last Surrey appearance in tomorrow’s One-Day Cup final, said: “I have made no secret of my desire to play for England again and I hope that a new challenge along with a return to keeping will help kick my career onto the next level.”

Though a wicketkeeper, Davies had been playing as a specialist batsman in recent seasons, before expressing the wish to return behind the stumps at the beginning of this season.

He has a good record, too, averaging a touch over 40 with the bat in his 182 first-class matches, with a top score of 200 not out.

Somerset director of cricket Matt Maynard said:“He is a player of high class.

“Steven still harbours ambitions of playing for England and we will all work hard to support him.”