For a few awful moments during Glamorgan`s Championship match with Warwickshire at Cardiff in 1971, it looked as if Roger Davis would not recover from being hit a sickening blow on the side of his head whilst fielding at short-leg. As soon as he was hit, Roger collapsed, went into convulsions and had to be given the kiss of life by a doctor who ran onto the Sophia Gardens ground from the members enclosure. Thankfully, this helped to save his life and Roger fully recovered, and by the following season was back as a regular in the Glamorgan side.
He had made his county debut in 1964, and he developed into a sound and cool headed middle-order batsman, and accurate off-spin bowler. Later in his career, Roger moved up to open the batting with Alan Jones, and in 1975 he enjoyed his most profitable season, amassing 1,243 runs at an average of 31.
Despite his near fatal accident, Roger was a brilliant fielder close to the wicket, and in these days when the only protection a fielder wore was a box, Roger stood fearlessly close to the batsmen and took many fine catches off the spin bowling of Don Shepherd. Despite being known as the fielder who fell over the boundary ropes trying to catch one of Gary Sobers’ sixes at Swansea in 1968, Roger rarely missed a chance close to the wicket, and his 33 catches taken during 1969 was a key element of Glamorgan’s title-winning Championship campaign.
Roger lost form in 1976 and it was a huge surprise when the club opted to dispense with his services at the end of the season, without a Benefit after his thirteen years of service to the county. Despite his abrupt release, Roger remained loyal to the Welsh county and found time from his duties as an estate agent to serve during the 1990s and 2000s on the Glamorgan committee. His elder brother John also played for Glamorgan between 1959 and 1970.
DAVIS, Roger Clive
Born – Whitchurch, Cardiff, 1st January 1946.
Best performances for Glamorgan:
In first-class cricket – 134 v Worcestershire at Sophia Gardens, 1971; 6/62 v Gloucestershire at Cheltenham College, 1970.
In List A cricket – 91 v Northamptonshire at Wellingborough, 1975; 4/48 v Essex at Swansea, 1969.
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 100 | 50 | CT | ST | |
| First-class | 213 | 369 | 30 | 7363 | 21.71 | 5 | 32 | 208 | – |
| List A | 122 | 108 | 8 | 1730 | 17.30 | 1 | 6 | 44 | – |
| Balls | M | R | W | AV | 5wI | 10wM | |
| First-class | 17208 | 700 | 7793 | 241 | 32.33 | 6 | – |
| List A | 2869 | 48 | 1952 | 71 | 27.49 | – | – |