Alex Davies feels ‘loved and wanted’

New Club Captain Alex Davies feels 'loved and wanted' having shared an emotional meeting whilst announcing his captaincy.

The 29-year-old, who takes over from Will Rhodes following his decision to step down, spoke in front of his teammates at Edgbaston and via Zoom to share his good news.

And while the reception was joyous, he was even more heartened by the follow-up messages he received from the Bears far and wide.

“It was a bit of a blur for me and an emotional moment,” said Davies who becomes the 37th Warwickshire CCC Club Captain. “I knew it was coming and had to speak up and say something.

“There were a lot of handshakes, hugs and smiles, and it was really nice that a few of the Bears abroad joined the meeting via Zoom. They were straight on the text to me and a couple of phone calls. They’ve made me feel loved and wanted.

“All I’m going to do now is give it my absolute all and try and bring some silverware to the Bears.”

Lancashire-born, Davies immediately had a love affair with the Bears. Labelling Edgbaston his ‘second home’, the right-hander top order batter is desperate to make his mark with the Club.

With a wealth of experience of almost 300 senior matches across all formats – the wicket-keeper guided the Bears to 10 wins from 10 in last season’s Vitality Blast having stepped up from Vice Captain following Moeen Ali’s surprise Ashes call.

Davies admits that experience will stand him in good stead although he will still be using the expertise at his disposal.

“I’ve spoken to Dennis (Amiss) a few times and he presented me with my cap last year and that was a special moment,” added Davies. “I might pick his brain a little bit, but the one definite – and a little closer to home – is Westy (Ian Westwood). He’s captained this Club and I’ve already had a few chats about what comes with it and he’ll be a source for me to lean on.

“Inside the dressing – I said to a couple of the lads – that this side could captain itself. You could give it to anyone and they’d do a good job. We’ve got the likes of Danny Briggs who’s played a lot of cricket and then there’s the younger lads I can lean on. There will be plenty of people to help me out!”