England call-up caps amazing year for Davies (From Lancashire Telegraph)

England call-up caps amazing year for Davies

1:10pm Monday 9th July 2012 in Cricket By Matt Donlan, Sports reporter

ALEX Davies says his call-up to the England squad for next month’s Under 19 World Cup in Australia is an incredible end to an amazing year – but admits he feared the worst when his winter plans were wrecked by a knee injury.

The 17-year-old will head Down Under for the 16-team tournament with the rest of the 15-man squad at the end of this month and can't wait to pit his wits against the best young players around.

“I am really looking forward to it,” said the Darwen batsman. “I was great to be told I was in because you never really know how things are going to pan out but I knew I was in with a chance, especally as I performed well for the U19s in the Second XI Twenty20 last month.

“Now it’s about working hard and trying to stay in form.”

But Davies, who made his Lancashire debut as wicketkeeper in the CB40 match with Glamorgan last year, admits he had to make a big sacrifice in order to fight back from his knee injury which needed a winter operation and forced him out of the U19 tour to Bangladesh.

“It’s been a good year with making my Lancashire debut last season but it was a tough winter with my knee injury and the operation,” he added.

“I had to pull out of the tour but I was determined to get back to fitness and cut down to doing just one A Level in order to fully focus on my rehabilitation.”

That work has paid off with the call up and Davies is set to open for the Lions in the tournament, which starts against hosts Australia in Townsville on August 11 before games with Ireland and Nepal.

“It’s going to be good playing in Australia but before then we have a couple of warm-up games in Leicester before we fly out on July 30,” he said.

“And I am really looking forward to getting out there.”