In the 1887 season he topped the batting and bowling figures for the club, scoring the first two half-centuries of his career and taking three five wicket overs.

In the 1895 season Derbyshire finished fifth, and Davidson achieved career-best single-innings bowling figures of 9–39, against a strong Warwickshire batting side on a pitch better than most of the period.

He played for the Players at Lord's though without success even on a fiery pitch against some brilliant amateur batting.

But for the special portrait of Grace, George Davidson might have been a Cricketer of the Year in the 1896 Wisden.

Chesney Hughes narrowly missed the record in April 2013 with an unbeaten 270 as he carried his bat against Yorkshire at Headingley.

Davidson was a right-handed batsman and played 260 innings in 158 first-class matches, He made 5546 runs with an average of 23.80 and a top score of 274.