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Davies gets the call
Cricket, 11:13, December 5, 2009 ,
Durham seamer Mark Davies has been added to the England Test squad in South Africa as cover for James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom.
The 29-year-old made his first-call debut for the north east side back in 2002 and has taken 251 wickets at an average of 21.68.
He also has 68 one-day victims and bowls his overs at an economy rate of 4.16 in the 50-over game, suggesting that line and length are key to his success over the past eight years.
Davies' call-up means Durham now have three fast bowlers on tour, with Graeme Onions and Liam Plunkett already with the squad in South Africa.
However another Durham man, Steve Harmison, did not make the squad and Davies' elevation to the big time, could mean yet another nail in the coffin of Harmison's international career.
Anderson has been in inspired form in the one-day series but has been struggling with a knee injury and stayed behind in Durban to have another injection to try and cure the problem.
Sidebottom has a side problem and, with the Nottinghamshire man spending more time on the sidelines than on the pitch over the past 18 months, the England management decided to bolster their seam-bowling ranks with the addition of the Stockton-on-Tees-born paceman.
Davies is already in South Africa with the England Performance Programme, and took six wickets in last week's victory over Gauteng.