Sonny Baker, the exciting Hampshire fast bowler, picked up his maiden first-class five-wicket haul against Surrey at The Oval.
Baker had impressed even as a teenager, and was expected to do well at first-class level. He debuted in the format for the England Lions earlier this year. Australia A won that game by an innings, but Baker returned 3-60 in a total of 373-9.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to see Sonny thrive over the winter,” Lions head coach Andrew Flintoff had said back then. “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.”
In February 2025, the ECB handed Baker a development contract. On his County Championship debut in April, against Yorkshire at Southampton, he picked up 1-17 and 2-58, including captain Jonny Bairstow twice in the game. In the second innings, he pegged back Bairstow’s middle stump.
He did little of note in the first innings of his second game, or in the early parts of the second, against Surrey at The Oval. The two innings were marked by Dom Sibley’s resilience: after carrying his bat for exactly 100 not out in the first innings, he fielded throughout the Hampshire innings, and did not leave the ground until he made 105 in the second.
Match 12, Surrey vs Hampshire
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Surrey, 264-3 when Sibley fell, took their score to 284-4 when Baker took out a dangerous-looking Jamie Smith (84). Surrey did declare on 342-9, but all four wickets went to Baker – two clean bowled, two caught-behind. He finished with 5-80 from 14 overs.
Chasing 377, however, Hampshire ran into trouble early in the second innings. Baker walked out as night-watch at 30-2, but Jordan Clark snared him first ball. At stumps, they were 35-3 with Fletcha Middleton (11) and Nick Gubbins (5) at the crease.
