Freya Davies

Davies was born on 27 October 1995 in Chichester, West Sussex.[1] When Davies was a young child, her father, and her older brother Jack, both played for the family's local cricket club, Chichester. At the age of eight, Davies decided to join in, and played her first hard-ball game with Jack's under-11 team. She was attracted to fast bowling, because "that seemed like the most fun"; at 10 and 11 she was tall for her age, which also helped. Eventually, she joined the Sussex junior ranks as an 11 year old.[3][4]

Davies attended Chichester High School for Girls, Brighton College and the University of Exeter.[4][3]

In 2010, Davies made her county debut for Sussex, against Middlesex. She took her first wicket a day later in her third match, dismissing the then England captain Charlotte Edwards, thanks in part to a catch by Sarah Taylor that Davies later described as "unbelievable".[5][4] Davies soon became a regular player in Sussex's side, and was part of their team in three title wins: the 2013 Women's County Championship and the 2012 and 2015 T20 Cups.[6][5] In the 2019 Women's Twenty20 Cup, Davies was Sussex's leading wicket-taker, with 8 at an average of 14.62.[7]

Davies played every game (36) for Western Storm in the Women's Cricket Super League from its inception in 2016 until its conclusion in 2019, helping her side to two titles, in 2017 and 2019.[5] Davies was the leading wicket-taker in the 2019 competition, with 19 wickets, and the second highest wicket-taker across the four years of the competition, with 37.[8][9]

In October 2019, Davies was named as one of the first two players signed for London Spirit in The Hundred.[10] In 2020, Davies played two matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the South East Stars, but failed to take a wicket.[6]

In February 2019, although uncapped at the time, Davies was one of twenty-one cricketers to be awarded a central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).[11] Later the same month, she was named in the England squad for their tours to India and Sri Lanka.[12] She made her Women's Twenty20 International cricket (WT20I) debut for England against Sri Lanka on 24 March 2019, and recorded figures of 2/28 from her four overs.[13] She played all three T20Is on the tour, and returned an economy rate of just 4.58.[4]

The following month, she made her Women's One Day International (WODI) debut for England, against Pakistan on 14 December 2019, and finished with figures of 0/19 from her seven overs.[14] She also played two T20Is on the tour, taking three wickets at an average of 14.66.[15]

Davies played two matches in the 2020 Australia women's Tri-Nation Series, and was in England's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, but did not play a match.[5][16]

On 18 June 2020, Davies was named in a squad of 24 players to begin training ahead of international women's fixtures starting in England following the COVID-19 pandemic.[17] She played one T20I in the subsequent series against the West Indies, taking 1/11 from one over in a rain-reduced 5-over match.[18]

In 2021, Davies was named in the squad for the upcoming England tour of New Zealand.[19]

• Freya Davies at ESPNcricinfo
• Freya Davies at CricketArchive (subscription required)