England quick Sonny Baker's breaks unwanted record in debut against South Africa

Leeds [UK], September 3 (ANI): Debutant Sonny Baker's dream moment turned into an absolute walking nightmare after he went at the top of an unwanted record, which ultimately headlined England's dreadful show in the first ODI against South Africa at Headingley.

Baker's rise from bowling 10 balls under the light in the Hundred to the ODI format against South Africa's proven stars proved to be too much for him. He was clobbered ruthlessly and spilt 76 runs in his seven-over spell at 10.90, the most conceded by an England bowler on his debut.

At the beginning of the day in Leeds, Baker was handed his maiden cap by Jos Buttler, a former captain and a fellow Somerset cricketer. After an impressive show in the County Championship and an eye-catching campaign in the recently concluded Hundred, Baker was fast-tracked into the England white-ball setup.

England saw him as a genuine wicket-taking threat on Australia's fast-paced grass strip in the upcoming Ashes, scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth. However, South Africa offered a quick reality check to the Three Lions, forcing them to re-evaluate their options by unleashing a relentless onslaught on Baker.

After Baker's golden duck ended England's demolition with the bat, the 22-year-old's opening over was a complete disaster. He pitched fuller, searched for swing, and his pace hardly troubled Aiden Markram, who hammered three boundaries in his over to start the proceedings with 14 runs in their pursuit of a paltry 132-run target.

He was constantly pumelled by South African batters, and by the end of his seven overs, he had conceded the most runs of any England bowler on debut. Along with this, he had the second-highest economy rate for a debutant of all time, with a minimum of five overs bowled.

While Baker perished, England tearaway Jofra Archer's searing deliveries were hardly touched by the Proteas. Archer's scorching spell further highlighted Baker's torrid run at Headingley.

After England met its fate and was handed a seven-wicket drubbing, captain Harry Brook defended Baker's shambolic debut and said, "The way he kept on chucking in and giving his 100 per cent was awesome to see. That's exactly what we ask for from our bowlers." (ANI)

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