A tall, athletic fast bowler, Freya Davies made her first senior appearance for Sussex aged just 14, in 2010 in a T20 against Middlesex; her 50-over debut coming two years later against Somerset. By 2013 she was an established member of the Sussex 1st XI which won the Women's County Championship that year, taking seven wickets at an average of 20; and in 2015 she added a County T20 Cup medal to her collection.

She established herself with the England Academy in 2014, opening the bowling against India and South Africa that summer. A successful tour to South Africa was followed by a tough tour to Sri Lanka; but her hard work nevertheless began to pay off, with success against the visiting Australians in 2015 and 4 for 11 in an Academy match against Ireland A at Loughborough in 2016.

Educated at Brighton College - alma mater of (among others) Clare Connor and Sarah Taylor - she went on to study law at Exeter University, and was a part of the Exeter team which won the British Universities indoor title in 2015 and 2016, and came runners-up in the blue-riband Women's Universities Championship both years - losing to Loughborough in the 50-over finals at Lord's.

Davies won an England central contract in 2019 and made her international debuts in the same year in both ODI and Test cricket, threatening to break up the established new-ball partnership between Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Brunt. Her performances on the tour to New Zealand in early 2021 were particularly eye-catching, and she said she was happy to "prove a point and throw my hat in the ring" after career-best figures of 4 for 23 in a T20I in Wellington.

ESPNcricinfo staff