Surrey fine-tuning lured Davies

England wicketkeeper Steven Davies surveys the Brit Oval upon his unveiling by Surrey in October © Surrey Cricket

Steven Davies tried his best to leave Worcestershire on good terms, but the England wicketkeeper could not resist the career progression that he feels Surrey can offer.

Davies, 23, eventually left for the Brit Oval on a three-year contract in August after a prolonged process that carried on through the middle part of the season.

Born in Bromsgrove and educated at King Charles I School in Kidderminster, Davies had been attached to his native county for over a decade.

“I thought about it for a long, long time,” Davies told ecb.co.uk. “But as soon as I spoke to Grizz (professional cricket manager Chris Adams) and (managing director of cricket) Gus (Mackay), I knew I wanted to play at Surrey.

“It’s a massive club with big ambition. OK, they might not have had the best couple of years, but they’re going in the right direction.

“I’ve spent my whole career at Worcester since the under-10s. It was difficult for my friends and family, but a decision I had to make.”

Davies, who established himself as an aggressive opener for the Royals in limited-overs cricket, was also handed that responsibility on Twenty20 international debut for England in Port of Spain earlier this year.

Davies has since been called up as reserve wicketkeeper to Matt Prior for England's Test tour to South Africa, and joins up with the England Performance Programme in the same country beforehand.

The dual role he plays in a side, and the various challenges that presents in cricket’s modern era, persuaded Davies look towards a county that has attention for every discipline.

Graham Thorpe, a fellow left-hander with 100 Tests’ experience, is Surrey’s batting coach, while Alec Stewart advises on wicketkeeping matters.

Davies will have a coach for each of his demands at Surrey, with Graham Thorpe, right, on hand to advise on batting

“That was a massive pull for me,” explained Davies. “Their coaching staff includes legends of English cricket.

"They’ve been and done it and can offer me lots of advice in different areas. At this time of my career, I’m going to need that.”

Multiple winners of the County Championship, especially in the 1950s, Surrey have long been considered the aristocrats of domestic cricket, admired and disliked in equal measure. They also have a proud record of producing England players.

Even if that success has not been matched on the field in recent years, with Surrey languishing in the depths of Division Two and failing to challenge in the one-day competitions, Davies believes the Brit Oval better serves his interests.

It is well known that Worcestershire are the only county without a specific indoor school, though they do now have dedicated use of Malvern College Sports Complex for the winter.

Though Davies has not moved divisions, his move has been seen by some as reflecting the perceived gap between rich and poor counties.

“Those factors at Surrey were a big pull," said Davies. "The wicket, the indoor facilities, all those things tick the boxes.

“I obviously have huge affection for Worcestershire. But as county cricketers we're expected to perform day in, day out by coaches and members.

“And on the days when it’s rained, we had no facilities to train on and I didn’t think the grass wickets (at New Road) were up to standard.

“There was no indoor school at Worcester. I know they have use of Malvern School but that’s still 20 minutes from the ground. It’s better but not ideal.”

The flipside of Davies' decision is evidenced by the departure of Gareth Batty, second right, and Stephen Moore, far right

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Though he will be facing his old county in the championship next year, Davies hopes Worcestershire do not implode following a dreadful season in which they were relegated in the championship, not winning a Division One game all season.

Davies was by no means the only senior player to fly the nest. He was followed to Surrey by Gareth Batty, while Stephen Moore and Simon Jones also departed. Kabir Ali may only be kept at New Road by the issue of a hefty compensation package.

Despite these distractions, Davies put all the brouhaha aside to score 952 runs in first-class cricket, falling agonisingly short of a swansong century, out for 97 in his final match against the champions Durham.

“It was a hard time. I knew I was going to Surrey around halfway through the season, which members didn’t really like, and they were getting on my back a little. I just wanted to go out with a bang and not let my performances slip.

“I played well towards the end of the season. It meant a lot to me to win the Player of the Year award.

“It is a big loss to lose most of your senior players but I’m sure Worcestershire will be fine. At the back end of last season, they played a few youngsters. Richard Jones (who joins Davies in the EPP this winter) has taken a couple of five-fors.

“I certainly hope I’ve left on good terms. I know that (director of cricket) Steve Rhodes and Mark Newton, the chief executive, had no hard feelings and said I was welcome to go back, which meant a lot to me.”