Heath Davis

Heath Te-Ihi-O-Te-Rangi Davis (born 30 November 1971) is a former New Zealand cricketer. He played five Tests and eleven One Day Internationals in the 1990s. He played his provincial cricket for Wellington.

Heath Davis
Personal information
Full name
Heath Te-Ihi-O-Te-Rangi Davis
Born (1971-11-30) 30 November 1971
Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 189)2 June 1994 v England
Last Test18 September 1997 v Zimbabwe
ODI debut (cap 90)18 April 1994 v Sri Lanka
Last ODI14 May 1997 v India
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 5 11 71 47
Runs scored 20 13 538 140
Batting average 6.66 6.50 11.44 12.72
100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0
Top score 8* 7* 38* 21
Balls bowled 1,010 432 11,682 1,998
Wickets 17 11 215 45
Bowling average 29.35 39.63 31.13 36.80
5 wickets in innings 1 0 6 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0
Best bowling 5/63 4/35 5/32 4/35
Catches/stumpings 4/– 2/– 26/– 12/–
Source: Cricinfo, 4 May 2017

Early and personal life

Davis was born at Hutt Hospital, and spent his early years in the greater Wellington region before he moved with his family to Australia whilst he was in primary school.[1]

In 2022, Davis came out as gay – making him the first Black Cap to publicly disclose his homosexuality.[1]

Cricket career

Davis was prevented from enjoying a longer international career by problems with injury, wides and, particularly no-balls. A quick and skiddy bowler, his impressive Test figures hide the story of up to 14 no-balls in an innings.

Davis was selected on the 1994 New Zealand tour of England. He was not expected to play any of Test matches but to "gain experience and take advantage of the opportunity to play or train every day".[2] Geoff Howarth said of him "We knew he could bowl fast, but he had problems with his direction and no-balling".[2] Ken Rutherford said "I soon learnt he had a lot of raw talent but very little cricketing nous".[3] Due to injuries, he played in the first Test where New Zealand lost to England by an innings and 90 runs and he bowled 21 overs and took 1 wicket for 93 runs.[4] His first ball in Test cricket went for four wides.[5]

His career came in two short bursts, in between which he strove for improved rhythm. He tended to lose control when he strove for extra pace. He played both Test matches in the 1997 Sri Lankan tour of New Zealand taking four wickets in the first Test[6] and five wickets for 63 runs in the first innings of second Test.[7] His final Test match was played in Harare against Zimbabwe where he took 4 wickets but continued to be troubled by no balls, bowling 24 of them in the match.[8]

Davis moved to Brisbane, Australia in 2003 and he is involved with cricket coaching. In 2008, he suffered a workplace accident while driving a forklift. As a result, half of his left foot had to be amputated.[9] He remarked about accident "I didn't want to remember all the no-balls that I bowled through my career. So I decided to do something permanent about it..."[10]

The Otago Daily Times named him in their New Zealand Test team of the "greatest 11 players NZ forgot".[11]

References
  1. Chapman, Madeleine (2 August 2022). "Finding Heath Davis". The Spinoff. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  2. Howarth, Geoff (1998). Stirred But Not Shaken. New Zealand: Hodder Moa Beckett. p. 53.
  3. Rutherford, Ken (1995). A hell of a way to make a living. New Zealand: Hodder Moa Beckett. p. 198.
  4. "Full Scorecard of New Zealand vs England 1st Test 1994 – Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  5. Hepburn, Steve (17 January 2014). "Cricket: Plenty promised, few delivered". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  6. "Full Scorecard of New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 1st Test 1996/97 – Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  7. "Full Scorecard of New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test 1996/97 – Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  8. "Full Scorecard of Zimbabwe vs New Zealand 1st Test 1997/98 – Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  9. "Heath Davis looks on the bright side". Stuff. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  10. "Middle & Leg: Shihad, Heath, Masala & Monty". NZ Herald. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  11. Seconi, Adrian (13 January 2013). "Cricket: The greatest 11 players NZ forgot". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
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