Ian Charles Davis (born 25 June 1953) is an Australian former cricketer (batsman) who played in 15 Test matches and three One Day Internationals between 1973 and 1977.
Ian Davis' talent was spotted early and he was selected to tour the West Indies in 1969/70 with the Australian Schoolboys XI.
To ensure he could make the trip his local community in Shoalhaven clubbed together to sponsor his journey, something Davis remains grateful for to this day.
[2] On tour Davis was chosen to open the batting with another future test player Gary Cosier for the first two matches against Jamaica Under-19s.
In his sixth match of the tour Davis scored a magnificent century against Trinidad and Tobago Under-19s and backed up with 50 not out in the second innings.
[3] Davis made his Sheffield Shield debut for New South Wales in November 1973 against Western Australia at The WACA.
Davis' good form was enough to earn him a call-up to the Australian XI to face New Zealand in December 1973 (just a month after debut and aged just 20).
Davis ended the season top of the NSW batting averages with 52.90 in 12 innings in 7 Sheffield Shield matches, the 109 not out being his only century, with 5 fifties.
Although he did not appear in any of the Test matches Davis did face Mike Denness' tourists playing for NSW scoring 4 and 38 batting at 3, being dismissed by Chris Old in both innings.
That season Queensland won the Gillette Cup beating Western Australia in the final, Davis scored 44 from 57 balls, in a thrilling 4 run win.
Davis finished the three match series with an average of 49.00 after scoring fifties in both innings in the second test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (56 and 88).
The thrilling Centenary Test match against England at the MCG was played in March 1977, Davis scoring a vital 68 in the Aussies' second innings.
Davis found breaking into the WSC Australian XI just as tough as the official side his path being blocked by McCosker and Bruce Laird.
The fact that Davis averaged roughly half as many runs in Supertests as he did in official tests highlights the high level of competition in WSC.
The highly charged atmosphere and Packer's preference for fast bowling led to many of the WSC stars, including Davis, to wear protective helmets.
Davis was selected for the marquee WSC Tour of the West Indies, however the bank he was employed with refused to grant him leave.