While the nation holds ICC status for one-day internationals and has participated in three ODI world cups, the sporting landscape in the northernmost country in the United Kingdom is heavily dominated by soccer and rugby.
Yet Ewan Davidson prefers bat and ball having played cricket his entire life, a love which has now seen him trade the rainy Scottish winter to pull on the whites for Echuca Cricket Club in the GMC competition this season.
“I played for a team called Stoneywood Dyce in Aberdeen, back in Scotland,” he said.
“I played there all my life, even captained the team. It’s good, a real family friendly club and I really enjoy it, so I thought I’d have a crack at an Australian one.
“I’ve always wanted to do it, so I thought, why not?”
Davidson’s move to Australia eventuated after coming to a crossroad in his life.
Upon finishing tertiary studies and securing work, he found that he didn’t enjoy his chosen profession as much as he expected, so decided to throw caution to the wind and try his luck in Australia.
“I actually went to uni and did accounting and finance,” he said.
“I wasn’t really a huge fan, I kind of just did it to go to uni if you know what I mean, you need to pick something.
“I worked for a bit and then decided it’s not really for me, so when I was in the middle of stuff I decided to come over here.”
A large British contingent find themselves in Melbourne or Sydney when they come to Australia, and Davidson’s decision to land in Echuca of all places remains a little bit of a mystery to the man himself.
“I don’t know,” he laughed when asked why he decided to play for Echuca rather than a team in Melbourne.
“You just get onto these agency sites and you get messages from people, and I got good vibes from the people I spoke to from Echuca, and thought it’d be a pretty good fit.”
Having had conversations with Matt Hinks, Davidson was convinced to play for the reigning premier, and has thrown himself into life at the club.
“It’s been good, I help out around the club with the groundwork and help coach the women’s team and stuff like that,” he said.
“It’s been good, and I try and get proper stuck in.”
Davidson admits it has taken quite a while to adjust to life in Echuca, although working for K2 Industrial supplies has helped him settle in, as have his hosts.
“It’s very different coming from a city to a random country town, but it’s been good,” he said.
“It took a bit of getting used to, and I’m still getting used to it a bit. The people I’m staying with are really, really nice and they’ve helped me settle in.”
As for the cricket, the Scot has featured in every game for Echuca in the McMahon Shield, recording a season-high of 57 not out against Bamawm-Lockington United, and was a member of the winning Kookaburra Cup squad.
Having played only nine matches in the premier division, Davidson said it is hard to compare the standard of the GMC to cricket back home.
“It’s a tricky one,” he said.
“Every team seems to have like one or two really good players, but the standard is quite varied I’d say here, but is ‘similar-ish’.”
Davidson will next be in action for Echuca following the festive break, although a hot Christmas is something he is still trying to wrap his head around.
“Definitely (strange),” he said of experiencing Christmas in the summer.
“I still get confused when I see the date and it’s bloody December.”
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