Mark Davis (South African cricketer)

{{short description|South African cricketer}}

{{use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Mark Davis

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Mark Jeffrey Gronow Davis

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|10|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Port Elizabeth, South Africa

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| batting = Right-handed

| role = Bowler

| club1 = Northern Transvaal

| year1 = {{nowrap|1990/91–1996/97}}

| club2 = Northerns

| year2 = 1997/98–1999/00

| club3 = Sussex

| year3 = 2001–2005

| columns = 3

| column1 = FC

| matches1 = 127

| runs1 = 2,941

| bat avg1 = 18.73

| 100s/50s1 = 2/8

| top score1 = 168

| deliveries1 = 18,475

| wickets1 = 232

| bowl avg1 = 36.06

| fivefor1 = 5

| tenfor1 = 1

| best bowling1 = 8/37

| catches/stumpings1 = 68/–

| column2 = LA

| matches2 = 160

| runs2 = 946

| bat avg2 = 17.20

| 100s/50s2 = 0/0

| top score2 = 37

| deliveries2 = 7,294

| wickets2 = 142

| bowl avg2 = 37.43

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 4/14

| catches/stumpings2 = 34/–

| column3 = T20

| matches3 = 17

| runs3 = 78

| bat avg3 = 19.60

| 100s/50s3 = 0/0

| top score3 = 20*

| deliveries3 = 276

| wickets3 = 13

| bowl avg3 = 26.38

| fivefor3 = 0

| tenfor3 = 0

| best bowling3 = 3/13

| catches/stumpings3 = 5/–

| date = 2 July

| year = 2015

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/3/3963/3963.html CricketArchive

}}

Mark Jeffrey Gronow Davis (born 10 October 1971) is a South African former cricketer active from 1990 to 2005. He was club coach of Sussex until he left by mutual agreement in October 2017.{{cite book| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=S0xpBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA2014-IA33| title= Playfair Cricket Annual 2015| last1= Marshall| first1=Ian|year=2015| isbn= 9781472212191}} During his playing career, he played domestic cricket for Northern Transvaal (later known as Northerns), MCC, and Sussex, as well as making appearances for South Africa A and South Africa U-24s.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/3/3963/3963.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|work=cricketarchive.com}}

Playing career

Davis appeared in 127 first-class matches as a righthanded batsman who bowled off breaks. He scored 2,941 runs with a highest score of 168 and took 232 wickets with a best performance of eight for 37. He was the captain of Northerns cricket team, before moving to England for the 2001 season, as Davis held a British passport. During a match against Nottinghamshire, he almost became the first person in English first-class cricket history to concede a five run penalty under Law 42 of the Laws of cricket (fair and unfair play); his second warning for repeatedly running on the wicket caused the single he scored to be deducted from the score.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2001/may/11/cricket.nottinghamshireccc|title=Cricket: Davis runs into Law 42|author=Paul Weaver|work=The Guardian}} In 2002, Davis and Robin Martin-Jenkins scored a record eighth-wicket partnership for Sussex of 291;{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2002/jul/22/cricket.somersetccc|title=Martin-Jenkins at double|author=Paul Weaver|work=The Guardian}}{{cite book|last1=Scott|first1=Les|title=Bats, Balls & Bails: The Essential Cricket Book|date=2009|isbn=9781446423165|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KDIxbom3Wb4C&q=Mark+Davis+sussex+cricketer&pg=PT550}} as of 2015, this is still the highest eighth-wicket partnership for Sussex.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/England/Firstclass/Sussex/Partnership_Records/Highest_Partnership_Each_Wicket_For.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|work=cricketarchive.com|access-date=2 July 2015}} Davis' innings of 111 in the partnership was his maiden first-class century. He was part of the Sussex team that won the 2003 County Championship, Sussex's first County Championship win,{{cite web|url=http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/domestic/sussex-coaching-role-for-davis,6342,EN.html?Pf=com.otherobjects.cms.model.structure.Folder-L-2|title=Sussex coaching role for Davis|work=ecb.co.uk}} and scored his highest first-class score of 168 in a 2003 match against Middlesex.

Coaching career

Davis announced his retirement from cricket in 2005, and was then announced as a Sussex club coach, replacing Peter Moores.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/220911.html|title=Mark Davis appointed coach of Sussex|work=Cricinfo}} He took control of the Second Team, and

Mark Robinson, Sussex Professional Cricket Manager, said that "His experience both within the professional game as a player and most recently by running his own coaching academy in South Africa will make him a vital member of the coaching team." In 2009, he gained his Level 4 Coaching Certificate, making him only one of three Sussex coaches with the qualification.{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketworld.com/mark-davis-granted-testimonial-with-sussex/25938.htm|title=Mark Davis Granted Testimonial With Sussex|work=Cricket World}} In 2011, he had a Testimonial Year, to celebrate 10 years of service to Sussex CCC. In 2012, Davis swapped roles with Carl Hopkinson, making him an assistant to manager Mark Robinson.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/16415911|title=BBC Sport - Sussex coaches Mark Davies and Carl Hopkinson to switch roles|work=BBC Sport}} In 2013, Davis was a contender to become Sri Lankan head coach,{{cite web|url=http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/216616-marvan-atapattu-mark-davis-in-line-to-be-sri-lanka-coach|title=Marvan Atapattu, Mark Davis in line to be Sri Lanka coach|work=ndtv.com}} although Marvan Atapattu was eventually awarded the job.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/story/739391.html|title=Marvan Atapattu appointed Sri Lanka head coach|work=Cricinfo}}

He has held the role of Director of Cricket at Brighton College since 2020 and was formerly Master in Charge of Cricket at Harrow School.{{cite web|url= https://brightoncollege.daisy.websds.net/Filename.ashx?tableName=ta_publications&columnName=filename&recordId=70|title=The Brightonian - The magazine of Brighton College|work=Brighton College Digital Archives 2020}}

References