Oliver Davidson one of three international players to feature in this season’s ADCA A-grade competition

An international flavour will return to Albany’s cricket scene this summer as the easing of COVID restrictions allows clubs to recruit overseas players. Collingwood Park announced late last month that young Scottish star Oliver Davidson would join the club for the 2022-23 season. Royals and Manypeaks will also field international players for the new season, which starts on Saturday. This will be the first time in three seasons that international players have featured in the Albany and District Cricket Association. In 2019-20 the only team to have an import was Denmark with Ben Attrill. Peaks (Dom O’Reilly), Railways (Hasnain Nawaz), North County (Riecko Parker-Cole) and the Lions (Sam Hughes) all fielded international players in 2018-19. Parker-Cole won three of the main ADCA A-grade trophies during his stint in Australia and was part of the ADCA representative teams. Davidson is the prize recruit in the ADCA this season, having recently represented Scotland and the ICC under-19 World Cup. The 18-year-old played five matches at the World Cup scoring 134 runs at an average of 26.8 including 43 against the West Indies. He also took seven wickets at an average of 27.85 and snared 2-45 against Australia. Davidson, pictured below, made his debut for Scotland’s senior team in June, playing in a one-day international against the United Arab Emirates. He made 14 runs from 33 balls and bowled nine overs returning 0-30. Davidson has been playing first and second XI games for Worcestershire in the English summer. The Lions will have Dumbleton youngster Myles Holland join their club while Peaks import is Bowden bowler James Bottomley. Holland is an 18-year-old all-rounder who plays for Dumbleton Cricket Club in the West of England Premier League. Bottomley is a 22-year-old medium-fast bowler from Bowden Cricket Club who play in the Cheshire Premier League. ADCA president Ryan Kinnear said it was exciting to have international players adding to the talent in the A-grade competition. “It is only a positive from our point of view,” Kinnear said. “Teams get an extra player but they bring excitement, a fresh face and it can really lift a club. “It will only improve the standard of A-grade cricket as a whole.” The ADCA will compete in the Country Cup along with the annual senior country week competition, where they are allowed to field one international player. Kinnear said the ADCA was tracking well for the start of the season this Saturday. “We’re doing pretty well,” he said. “Good weather over the next four or five days will be handy.”