Playing heroes is inspiring – Davies

SOMERSET’S teenage wicketkeeper Ryan Davies is relishing the challenge of facing his heroes as he adjusts to life in the Championship’s top flight.

Davies began last season, aged 18, playing for Kent seconds, trying to make his name at a club where Sam Billings was already garnering headlines.

By contrast he has started 2016 as Somerset’s first-choice keeper in Division One with director of cricket Matt Maynard backing him as a “great young talent”.

Davies said: “Last year seems a long time ago. Hopefully it shows that I like to challenge myself, stepping up to this next level, which probably is a lot out of my comfort zone – because obviously you’re playing against international players week in, week out.

“Being offered regular firstteam cricket for Somerset, something that I wasn’t really getting at Kent, it was too hard to say no.

“I’ve grown up playing for Kent. I lived there and my family are there, so it was obviously a big move, But for me, my family know that cricket comes first. It’s been brilliant coming down to Somerset, they’ve made me fit in so well. I can’t complain about what’s happened.”

Davies is determined to learn all he can from playing with and against some of the biggest names in the sport this year.

“The best thing about Division One is that you’re learning all the time,” he said. “You’ve got that international quality.”

Somerset tried four keepers in all competitions last year following Craig Kieswetter’s premature retirement after an horrific eye injury sustained in 2014. Davies, who is happy with the way his keeping has developed, is hopeful he can fill the gap on a long-term basis.

Despite getting a duck at Lord’s this week, he is keen now to push on, having set himself a realistic target for his first season at Taunton.

“I’m just trying to find my feet and go out there with confidence,” he said. “Sometimes you can go into your shell when you see people like Anderson and Woakes bowling at you. Coming in at 7 or 8, I’d be happy if I averaged between 20 and 30, and then hopefully next season massively kick on and try and get that up and start chipping in with a few fifties and hundreds.”