It’s rare for a cricketer to generate such excitement without having made a single first-class appearance on home soil.
But after spending any amount of time with Sonny Baker, it’s hard not to feel energised by the emergence of a fast bowler who has already caught the eye of Andrew Flintoff and been handed an England Lions cap before making his bow in the County Championship.
The i Paper catches up with the 22-year-old on a sun-drenched spring day at an immaculate looking Utilita Bowl, the ground at which Baker is likely to make that long-awaited Division One entrance against Yorkshire on Friday.
He signed for Hampshire from Somerset back in August 2024, and spent this winter working under Flintoff in Australia.
Such is England’s penchant for left-field selections – and the weight given to the former all-rounder’s judgement – that the odds of Baker returning there for England’s Ashes tour at the tail-end of this year are tumbling.
Baker took three wickets on his first-class debut (Photo: Getty)Not bad going for a cricketer who says his dad had to book him into karate classes in order to improve his coordination in his formative years.
“It’s fair to say I was a late developer,” Baker tells The i Paper.
“My coordination came pretty late, so my dad thought karate would be a good idea – I eventually learned to use my hand and my feet at the same time.
“I got quite tall quite quickly. Unfortunately, I haven’t grown much since. It especially felt like that in the Lions’ attack, everyone was huge, everyone was towering above me, Harry Moore is only 17 but he’s 6ft 8in already!
“Once I had sorted my coordination, I did a bit of youth development rugby before focusing on cricket. I can’t say I was a terrible sportsman – it’s always better to be self-deprecating than blow smoke up your own arse isn’t it? I would just say that I developed a bit later than a lot of cricketers. Some people seem to have an England cap on their head by the age of four.”
Alongside a larger-than-life personality, Baker also has the benefit of being a deep thinker about the game, after an upbringing that reinforced the notion that bowling fast wasn’t just a physical act.
“My dad always wanted to bowl really fast, and I think in club cricket he was probably pretty sharp,” he says.
“I’ve always wanted to bowl fast too because, well, it’s exciting isn’t it?
“My dad’s attitude would definitely lift the side. His aura and competitiveness was what really drove his team-mates on. What he didn’t have in skill he made up for with other stuff.”
square CRICKET
My bold County Championship predictions for 2025 - and why Surrey won't win it
Read MoreThe Aussies would call it “mongrel”, and it’s something that Baker demonstrated on his trip Down Under with the Lions, bowling over his coach in the process.
“He and I are very different in character and personality, but it has been a delight to see the pride he takes in wearing the Three Lions, the energy he brings to every ball, and the theatre and magic he creates on the pitch,” said Flintoff, following the ECB’s decision to grant Baker a development contract.
For his part, working with Flintoff and playing alongside his son, Rocky, is an experience that the young quick won’t forget in a hurry.
“He [Andrew Flintoff] is amazing, and I don’t think he gets enough credit for his meticulous nature either,” he says. “I know he’ll make a joke of it but his preparation was fantastic, the whole trip was so well put-together.
“Rocky is a good lad too, a really solid guy. He’s a bit like his dad, he’s a character but he’s also a very talented youngster – can I call him that? He’s not that much younger than me. Actually, he’s so young that I think I can!
“He hits a clean ball and has a very, very good attitude. He likes having fun too. His hundred in Australia [against an Australia XI in Brisbane in January] would have shut up a lot of people. I was so pleased for him.”
For the time being, Baker can put international ambitions to one side while he tries to establish himself in a Hampshire side that boasts perhaps the most formidable pace line-up of any side in Division One.
As well as Baker, the likes of Brad Wheal, Eddie Jack, John Turner and Scott Currie can all issue a considerable hurry-up to batters.
The late developer, meanwhile, is in a rush to make up for lost time.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The karate-kicking Bazball hopeful who has caught Flintoff’s eye )
Also on site :
- Bomb threat reported at Aurora’s Liberty Middle School
- Tech moguls who grinned behind Trump at inauguration lose billions in wake of his tariffs announcement
- Is Taco Bell Bringing Back Its Fan-Favorite Crispy Chicken Nuggets?