The new Bears Women captain talks about her journey from West Midlands Police officer to professional cricketer 

As the old saying goes, there’s nothing like a team player. And Bears Women captain Georgia Davis is certainly that. Georgia’s journey with the Bear started at Under-10s and the club’s youth pathway. Now, 15 years on, she has made it to the top of the senior tree, skippering the side in its historic first season. She truly does have the Bears in her blood!

You might think that Georgia has spent every minute of every day practising, training and generally devoting her life to cricket – and there’s no doubt she has been, and is, hugely committed to the sport. However, her journey into professional cricket has been anything but conventional.

Until 2023, she was combining a working life as a West Midlands Police officer with her time at the Edgbaston Indoor School as she pursued her dream of being a professional cricketer. Georgia said: “It was tough, balancing being an officer with my passion for cricket. I watched The Bill on TV growing up and wanted to be a police officer, but coming off a night shift into a game or training was particularly hard. I think the worst bit was probably having to use all my annual leave on games, so I ended up having no off time to myself.”

DEDICATION AND PRIDE

Bears Women are fighting for trophies on three fronts this season in the Vitality Blast T20, Metro Bank One Day Cup, and for the first time a knockout competition featuring sides from all three tiers of the national system.

It’s been tough in the Metro Bank One Day Cup after a positive start and a couple of wins, including a thumping victory against Essex and a draw with Hampshire, the Bears lost three matches on the spin. But Georgia’s been on good form with both bat and ball and will hope to end the season well when it finishes in July.

At the time of writing, the Bears were about to feature in their first home Vitality Blast T20 in a double header with the men against Durham Cricket at Edgbaston – a fantastic opportunity for the girls to shine in front of a big, new audience of cricket fans.

Georgia said: “As my cricket progressed from a love and passion to a potential career, with the women’s game expanding, I knew there was an opportunity and one I needed to dedicate all my focus on to succeed. I’m quite proud of the fact I was able to sustain a full-time job for three years which required shifts and still perform at the level I did. I look back now and don’t know how I did it!”

Georgia called time on her police career in 2023 as she stepped into full time cricket and a pro contract with the former regional side Central Sparks. “My goal was always to get as far as I possibly could with cricket. I look back at my time with the police with fond memories… but I’m extremely happy with my choice to turn professional,” she said. “It was a dream to be able to have the opportunity to play cricket for a living, and something I never take for granted.”

ENGLAND CAP

The spinning all-rounder was the leading wicket taker in the 2023 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, she made it to the Hundred final with Welsh Fire last summer, and took two wickets on debut for England in a ODI last September. She said: “Last year was a great year and topping it off with my first England cap was a pretty special moment for myself and my family who have supported me in whatever I have chosen to do.

“This year is an exciting one and being able to call Warwickshire my home again is something very special. I’ve played for Warwickshire since I was 10 and played 100 senior games, so to continue doing this but as a professional now is amazing for me.

“We’ve got a young and talented squad of Bears Women, so it’s going to be very exciting to see what we can achieve over the next few years.”