Alex Davies to trade Lancashire for Warwickshire at season's end
Written by I Dig Sports
Published in
Cricket
Monday, 19 July 2021 08:05
Alex Davies will leave Lancashire to join Warwickshire on a three-year deal at the end of this season.
Wicketkeeper-batter Davies, who linked up with Southern Brave on Monday ahead of The Hundred, said he saw the move as a chance to press for England selection and that it was the right time "to look for a new challenge".
"Warwickshire are a massive club with a proud tradition of winning," Davies said. "The Bears squad have potential to win trophies and I want to contribute to future success. At the same time, I remain totally committed to my ambition to play cricket for England and I believe that Warwickshire can help me do that. I have loved my time at Old Trafford and am now looking forward to an exciting next chapter in my journey."
Davies made his first-team debut in 2011, going on to become the first Lancashire keeper to score 1,000 first-class runs in 2017. He has made 90 appearances in red-ball cricket, scoring 4,682 runs at an average of 36.57 and he has 170 catches and 16 stumpings.
Davies has also excelled in white-ball games as part of the Lancashire Lightning side that won the 2015 Blast. In T20s, he averages 27.40 with 42 catches and 10 stumpings and, in List A, he has made 1,380 runs at 32.08, with 48 catches and 11 stumpings.
Davies has largely played this season as a top-order batter with Dane Vilas keeping wicket for Lancashire. Middlesex wicketkeeper John Simpson got the nod for England honours when a new-look white-ball squad had to be plucked from the counties for the recent ODI series against Pakistan following a spate of positive Covid tests within the original group.
Paul Farbrace, Warwickshire's director of cricket, described Davies' signing as "huge" for the county.
"Alex has firmly established himself as one of the best wicketkeeper-batters in the domestic game and he knows what it takes to win," Farbrace said. "In the red-ball game Alex has broken Lancashire records, whilst in white-ball cricket he bats with a fearless approach that can change the course of games.
"To have a player of his calibre want to join Warwickshire with an ambition to win trophies and push for international selection is a fantastic boost to everyone connected with the club. Aged only 26, we believe that Alex's best years are ahead of him and we're committed to giving him the best platform possible to push for a place in the England team across all formats."
Paul Allott, Farbrace's counterpart at Lancashire, said: "We are sad to see Alex leave Lancashire, but respect his decision to move on. On behalf of everybody at the club, I would like to thank Alex for his commitment and efforts during his time at Emirates Old Trafford and wish him well for the next stage of his career."