22-year-old right-arm fast bowler Sonny Baker made his ODI debut for England on Tuesday, September 2, in Leeds. In the series opener of the three-match ODI series against South Africa at Headingley, the youngster, however, failed to impress with his bowling. He opened the bowling attack for the English team and conceded 76 runs in just seven overs.
His figures of 0/76 in seven overs are the worst bowling figures on ODI debut by an English bowler. He broke spinner Liam Dawson’s record. On his ODI debut for England against Pakistan in Cardiff on September 4, 2016, 35-year-old Dawson bowled eight overs and conceded 70 runs. He was also able to take two wickets in that fixture.
The economy rate of 10.85 by Sonny Baker is the highest economy rate by a bowler on ODI debut, with a minimum of seven overs bowled.
In the series opener, after being invited to bat first, England could only manage to score 131 runs in 24.3 overs. Spinner Keshav Maharaj picked up 4 wickets for 22 runs in 5.3 overs, and three English batters were sent back to the pavilion by all-rounder Wiaan Mulder for 33 runs in seven overs.
The total of 131 runs is England’s second-lowest ODI total at home against South Africa.
For England, opener Jamie Smith scored 54 runs from 48 balls, but apart from him, no other batter managed to cross the 20-run mark.
In the 132-run chase, Aiden Markram helped South Africa get off to a flying start. The South African T20I captain scored 86 runs from just 55 balls. He added 121 runs in 18.1 overs for the first wicket with Ryan Rickelton (31 runs from 59 balls) and hammered 13 fours and 2 sixes during his stay at the crease on Tuesday.
