Alex Davies

Born: August 23, 1994, Darwen, Lancashire 

Role: Wicketkeeper-batsman

Debut: 2011

Alex Davies is in the early stages of what promises to be an exciting career. The former England Under-19 player has had his share of injuries, having spent much of 2016 on the sidelines with persistent knee problems.

He was set for a breakthrough summer, with Jos Buttler involved in franchise and international cricket, but from late- May onwards he watched on as the Red Rose climbed to the top of the Championship table – if only for a short while – and defended their Twenty20 crown.

Davies had played a key role in cementing the T20 Blast title at Edgbaston the previous summer, putting in a man of the match performance by hitting 47 off 26 balls at the top of the order against Northamptonshire Steelbacks.

Until recently, Davies had never hit a first-class ton, hitting 99 at Old Trafford in Division Two against Kent in 2015. He had plenty of fifties and remains a competent batsman virtually anywhere in the Lancashire order, preferring to open alongside the ever-dependable Haseeb Hameed when he is not on international duty.

The 22-year-old seized a maiden century in Lancashire colours in the opening fixture of the 2017 season at Chelmsford, registering a career-best 140 not out. He was unable to beat Luke Sutton’s record – the highest score by a Lancashire wicket keeper – but it was the best possible way to return to four-day cricket after a frustrating spell out of the side.

With Ashwell Prince and Alviro Petersen departing in recent seasons, Davies’ role at the top of the order in all formats has become increasingly important to the side. His versatility extends to white-ball cricket, where he is a busy, counter-attacking figure inside the powerplay, always looking to keep the scoreboard moving with sharp running.

The Academy graduate struck an eye-catching 73 not out against Warwickshire in the 50-over contest in 2015, before his heroics on Finals Day helped Lancashire to claim their first piece of one-day silverware in 16 years. 

He was the club's youngest one-day player when he made his debut back in 2011 in a 40-over Clydesdale Bank fixture against Glamorgan two days before turning 17. Davies went on to excel in four-day cricket, largely opening the batting, scoring 730 runs at an average of more than 40 runs in the 2015 campaign.