He started his season productively by taking 7/49 in the first innings of the opening match against Queensland, including the wickets of Test players Ken Archer, Colin McCool and Don Tallon,[14] but he expressed disappointment at his erratic line and length, frequently bowling full tosses and long hops.

[14] Steady wicket-taking, combined with an all round performance of 66, 40 and 3/89 against Western Australia saw Davidson selected for the Australian XI, which took on South Africa in what was effectively a dress rehearsal for the Tests.

In what was effectively a dress rehearsal for the Tests, Davidson took 2/17 and 3/49,[14] removing Trevor Bailey, Godfrey Evans, Johnny Wardle, Tom Graveney and leading batsman Denis Compton.

As with most of Australia's batsmen, Davidson struggled against Alec Bedser, who broke the English Test wicket-taking record in the wet conditions,[22] making only four and six.

[18] He scored a hard hitting 76 in the first innings of the Second Test at Lord's to help Australia take control, but a stubborn partnership by Bailey and Willie Watson saw England hang on for a draw.

He scored three fifties in the last month of the tour, and after missing his maiden first-class century with 95 against Lancashire,[14] he broke through with 104* against Somerset at County Ground, Taunton.

[33] Teammate Ian Craig estimated that bus journeys to matches proceeded at an average speed of 16 km/h because of persistent stoppages outside pubs, something that frustrated the non-drinkers.

[14] His best was a 4/50 against Queensland, and 3/89 in a testimonial match for retiring Australian captain Lindsay Hassett;[14] he removed Test teammates Benaud, Ron Archer and Graeme Hole.

The hosts managed to hang on with three wickets in hand,[14] after Davidson's captain had held up play and wasted 20 minutes for the running of the Melbourne Cup.

[46] Davidson returned as Australia faced a fourth meeting with Laker and Lock, in a match against Surrey immediately after the two consecutive Test maulings.

[49][50] Davidson felt that Johnson tried to rely too heavily on the senior players and should have placed more responsibility on the likes of Richie Benaud, Ron Archer and himself.

[55] With Ray Lindwall dropped, Davidson and Benaud became Australia's leading paceman and spinner when the team for the 1957–58 tour of South Africa was announced.

[14] The Australians crossed the border into South Africa and Davidson scored 100 and took a total of 4/62 against Transvaal as Craig's men started with a nine-wicket win.

Unable to cope with the 10 pm curfew imposed by team manager Jack Norton, Davidson and roommate Les Favell absconded and went sightseeing.

[14] This included an opening spell in which he removed the three top order English batsmen Peter Richardson, Watson and Tom Graveney without conceding a run.

[18] In the First Test against India in Delhi, Davidson took 3/22 in the first innings, removing both openers Pankaj Roy and Nari Contractor, and captain Polly Umrigar to help Australia seize the initiative and bowl out the hosts for 135.

After taking eight wickets in the two opening matches of the season against Queensland,[14] Davidson gave an indication of what was in store in the Tests when New South Wales played Frank Worrell's tourists.

He struck 88 as the hosts amassed 6/429 declared and then took three top-order wickets,[14] removing Cammie Smith, Rohan Kanhai and Gary Sobers,[18] holder of the Test world record of 365.

[14] In the First Test against the West Indies cricket team in Brisbane, Davidson showed his all round skills as well as stamina in becoming the first player to take ten wickets and accumulate more than a hundred runs in a match.

[75] Although time was plentiful, the pitch had begun to deteriorate and Australia look defeated after they had fallen to 5/57, prompting Davidson to join local batsman Ken Mackay at the crease.

They took the score to 92 when Mackay fell and Australia's chances of winning looked remote as Davidson and Benaud reached tea at 6/109 with 124 runs still required with only the tailenders were to follow.

[82] The record was later achieved by only three other men in test cricket history including Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Shakib Al Hasan.

[4][84] With Australia two men down, the West Indies recovered to 326 and set the hosts 464 for victory,[14] which would have required a world record fourth innings score.

The 1961 tour of England was Davidson's overseas farewell,[14] and he had not been prolific on his two previous visits, never managing to take more than four wickets in an innings and totaling only 76 in 40 first-class matches.

Despite again complaining about frailties of his body, Davidson vowed to play and produce a special performance for friend and stand-in captain Neil Harvey in the Second Test at Lord's.

Last man Graham McKenzie came to the crease to join Davidson,[1] who had been in poor form with the bat,[92] having failed to pass 22 in the past five matches in six weeks.

[15] At the start of the season, Davidson announced that the 1962–63 Ashes series against England was to be his last in the international arena, citing family and business reasons for his retirement.

[14] Australia then 248 with Davidson contributing 17, but he went wicketless in the second innings as England successfully reached their target with seven wickets in hand to take a 1–0 series lead.

This left Australia with a victory target of only 65, which was reached just before the beginning of a heavy thunderstorm that would have caused the remainder of the match to be abandoned, thus saving England from defeat.

[14][19] Often bowling in tandem, Davidson's accuracy also forced opposition batsmen to attack Benaud, leading them to perish from the pressure to raise the run rate.