Davey is an unsung hero
Bowler playing his part in Somerset’s success
JOSH Davey is the unsung hero of Somerset’s latest quest for that elusive first ever County Championship title.
Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory have deservedly earned England recognition for their efforts this season, while Marchant de Lange has rightly been praised for adding extra zip to the bowling attack with some rapid spells.
But from the opening game against Middlesex at Lord’s, Davey’s nagging accuracy and ability to gain just sufficient movement through the air and off the pitch have made him an integral member of the team.
He rarely creates headlines. But his tally of 28 Championship wickets is bettered only by Overton in the Somerset ranks and, just for good measure, Josh is also averaging over 28 with the bat at number nine or ten.
Twelve victims in two games against Hampshire, the first of which saw him return 5-30 in the second innings at Southampton, and 11 in the two clashes with Middlesex were outstanding contributions.
But, even when Davey is not taking wickets, he puts pressure on batsmen by maintaining an exemplary line and length, as an economy rate of less than two and a half runs per over demonstrates.
New ball partner Overton, who has 37 Championship wickets to his name, is the first to admit that he benefits from opponents being tied down at the other end.
“Josh has become a massive part of our team,” Craig told me. “We all try to bowl with control, but he never seems to go for many runs and has an uncanny knack of picking up wickets when the ball is doing even a little bit off the pitch.
“He nags away at off stump, making the batsmen play, and if one hangs around for a while, Josh will have a ball with his name on at some stage.”
Davey himself believes he was bowling as well as ever this season until sustaining a badly bruised toe, which limited his bowling in the last home match against Leicestershire and caused him to miss this week’s game with Surrey at The Oval.
He told me: “In the main, I get wickets through movement off the pitch because I can make the ball to go both ways. I try to stick to the basics and get as many balls in the right area as possible.
“That consistency comes from a lot of hard work over a number of years. Many games in the second XI learning my trade and trying to correct my weaknesses.
“I am quite a mature bowler now and, hopefully, the rewards will continue to come. It has been good to take wickets regularly this season and help the team do well.”
Aberdeen-born Davey made his one-day international debut for Scotland back in 2010, having made his county debut for Middlesex as a 19-year-old the same season.
But his career appeared to be on the decline three years later when he was released by Middlesex and left out of the Scotland squad. Despite earning a summer contract with Somerset, it was not until 2015 that Josh made his first class and List A debuts for the club.
Initially a batting all-rounder, it is over the past four seasons that he has really developed as a first team bowler. In 2018, he took 34 Championship wickets in 11 matches.
The following year saw him play every game as Somerset lifted the Royal London Cup, beating Hampshire in the final at Lord’s, and last season Davey claimed 24 Bob Willis Trophy wickets, again behind only Overton in Somerset’s bowling list.
From being very much a fringe seamer in his early years at Taunton, Josh is now one of the first names on the team-sheet. At the age of 30, he remains ambitious to add to 31 ODI caps for Scotland and 21 international T20 appearances.
He said: “Because of what has been happening in the world, Scotland played their first game for 18 months this summer, having missed the World Cup that would have been played last year.
“It has now been rearranged for this coming October and I really hope to be part of the squad.”
Before that, Davey aims to make Somerset history by being part of the team who finally end the search for what players and supporters have come to regard as the ‘Holy Grail.’
“The belief is there within the dressing room that we can do it,” he said. “We definitely have the talent and the Championship title is there for the taking this season.”
With a place in Division One of the second stage now assured, Somerset will be among only six clubs who can win the coveted pennant. And, with skipper Tom Abell on the point of returning from a hamstring injury, this might just be their year.
DAVID Payne’s call into England’s Covid-hit one-day international squad for the three-match series against Pakistan was a wonderful personal achievement and deserved recognition of his talent.
But the timing could hardly have been worse for Gloucestershire, who lost a key member of their pace attack at the sharp end of impressive campaigns in the County Championship and vitality Blast.
Now the Pakistan series has ended without Payne appearing in any of the three games, even though England wrapped up victory in the second of them and went to win 3-0.
David was summoned by England after the opening day of the Championship clash with Middlesex at Cheltenham and replaced by Dom Goodman.
Matt Taylor and Dan Worrall bowled Gloucestershire to victory in that game, while the following vitality Blast game against the same opponents also ended in success.
But this week at the College Ground, Hampshire ran up 486 for seven declared in the first innings of a winner-takes-all match to reach Division One of the second stage of this season’s Championship.
Would they have made that many had Payne, Gloucestershire’s second highest wicket-taker in the competition with 25 in seven matches, been playing?
Of course, other counties, including Hampshire, were depleted by England call-ups. Somerset lost Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory, but at least had the satisfaction of seeing both players play in all three games against Pakistan.
With the series wrapped up, I was expecting Payne to be picked for the third ODI at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
The fact that he was not involved again, while Gloucestershire were fighting to keep alive hopes of winning a first County Championship title, was intensely frustrating for all with the club’s interests at heart.
Happily, David should be available for this weekend’s final Blast group games, against Surrey at Cheltenham tomorrow (2.30pm) and Somerset at Taunton on Sunday, which has been switched to a 6.30pm start.