Sonny Baker, a 22-year-old cricketer, is looking forward to his next opportunity to showcase his skills on the international stage as he hopes for improved weather conditions ahead of the T20 match against Ireland in Dublin this Sunday. Baker’s optimism belies a tough introduction to life as an England international, having endured a torrid time in his first outing against South Africa.
In his first one-day international on Headingley, Baker was thrown a tough game. He was smashed for 76 runs off just seven overs, including 14 fours, an incredible feat. He bowled at an impressive speed of 89 mph but struggled with his accuracy, allowing Aiden Markram to score freely, even hitting him for a six over square leg. Baker looked back over his first debut and the second test, saying he was not at his best with the ball. He had one of the toughest introductions to international play imaginable.
At the time I was thinking, ’15 an over for my first three or four overs is not what I had in mind! In the long run, it’ll be a good thing for me,” he stated. Though the onset has been challenging, he is optimistic that this experience will help him develop into a better player.
Baker’s second chance to face Ireland ended up getting washed out by rain with no action possible. Consequently, he’s got his fingers crossed that the weather gods will be kind on Sunday. He said that he has been looking forward to returning to the field after having a time to think following his first game.
I’m desperate to get out there again. That’s not how you want your first game to go but I’ve had a bit of time to reflect and bounced back fairly quick, he noted.
Baker is an unfamiliar entity, having featured in just seven first-class contests. He knows how important it is to take advantage of each and every opportunity to improve performance. To him, the challenges he’s facing at this early stage of his career will make him a stronger player in the long run.
As he heads into his first Test match against Ireland, Baker’s eyes are on continually developing and proving himself to be the go-to bloke. He’s all but rooting for clear skies this coming Sunday. Given the appropriate choice of players and a stage that does justice to his art, he’ll be able to finally paint his masterpiece before hundreds of millions.
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