Harbledown Cricket Club | Canterbury

James Davies has quite literally played for Harbledown in a 'man and boy' capacity.

Growing up in a house that overlooked our beloved pitch at Rough Common, James was later educated just a few hundred yards away at Kent College. Despite all the first class cricket coaching he received whilst at school James would be the first to admit that his real education came when sharing a dressing room with the likes of David Heald, Johnny 'Mad Dog' Hedges and Mike 'The Pieman' Haines.

During his stint at the University of East Anglia in the mid 1990's James both refined his accurate seam bowling and acquired the nickname 'Jumbo'. While the nickname given to him by the girls volleyball team has stuck, an elbow injury prevented him bowling and for a while James was absent on the village circuit.

However, Jumbo's passion for his village couldn't be denied and it wasn't long before he returned as a clean hitting top order batsman. Elevated to the number three or four spot in recent seasons, James both lifts Harbledown's run rate and his teammates mood. He is one of the most good humoured and long serving members of the village and occupied the position as club treasurer and secretary for nearly a decade.

Although a safe pair of hands and a vocal presence in the field, James owns a meek 'toy' arm which would be unlikely to pass British Lion safety standards. In a key away game vs Egerton during our successful 2007 season James actually threw the ball backwards and needed two further attempts to reach the wicket keeper.

You'll still regularly find James at Fortress Rough Common representing and supporting the club he's grown up with.