England have handed a surprise ODI debut to fast-rising pace bowler Sonny Baker for the opening one-day international clash against South Africa at Headingley.
The 22-year-old quick has been making waves in The Hundred, claiming nine wickets in seven appearances for Manchester Originals and consistently clocking speeds around 90mph. His searing pace and threat with the new ball caught the attention of England’s selectors — and now he’s earned his first full international cap.
Baker’s rise has been rapid. After transferring to Hampshire from Somerset at the end of last summer, he picked up two five-wicket hauls in just six County Championship matches this season. However, it was The Hundred that truly launched him into the spotlight.
One standout performance came when he snared a hat-trick against Harry Brook’s Northern Superchargers, adding to notable spells against London Spirit and Welsh Fire.
“All four are world-class batters, and he was all over them. He bowled with high pace and high skill. He was awesome to watch this year, and everyone was talking about him,” England captain Harry Brook told BBC Sport.
A promising start to his career was almost derailed by back injuries, but Baker credits his daily habit of drinking “bone broth” with helping him recover and stay fit.
The young pacer has now fully integrated with the England white-ball squad, having trained for the first time on Sunday and taken part in a light session on Monday morning in Leeds.
“He’s got me out before, a few years ago in The Hundred. He can swing it both ways with exceptional death skills as well so to have him in the team and for him to be opening up tomorrow is awesome,” Brook added.
England vs South Africa 1st ODI Playing XI
Joining Baker in the starting line-up are experienced names like Joe Root, Jos Buttler, and Jofra Archer, the latter making his return to ODI cricket for the first time since the Champions Trophy in March. Brydon Carse is also back after missing the final Test against India.
Here’s how England will line up against South Africa in the first ODI:
| England XI | South Africa XI |
|---|---|
| Jamie Smith | Aiden Markram |
| Ben Duckett | Ryan Rickleton (wk) |
| Joe Root | Temba Bavuma (capt) |
| Harry Brook (capt) | Tony de Zorzi |
| Jos Buttler (wk) | Tristan Stubbs |
| Jacob Bethell | Dewald Brevis |
| Will Jacks | Wiaan Mulder |
| Brydon Carse | Corbin Bosch |
| Jofra Archer | Keshav Maharaj |
| Adil Rashid | Nandre Burger |
| Sonny Baker | Lungi Ngidi |
Notably absent is South Africa’s pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who will miss the opener as part of workload management. David Miller, who dazzled in The Hundred, is only available for the T20 leg of the tour, while Donovan Ferreira has been tactically left out of the ODI squad.
This series also represents the second under Harry Brook’s captaincy since taking over full-time white-ball duties earlier this year. England enjoyed a clean sweep over the West Indies in both formats earlier this summer, but South Africa presents a sterner test.
“In an ideal world, we’d have liked to meet up yesterday and train yesterday, train today and go into the game as a group, but nobody is short of cricket, that’s for sure. Everybody’s raring to go and loving playing for England,” Brook said.
With the Ashes looming this winter, England have one eye on the bigger picture, namely the 2027 50-over World Cup and the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next February.
“We’re trying to create an environment where we’re working towards something, like [World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan] Morgs did when he took over years ago,” Brook explained.
The Proteas arrive fresh from a 2-1 series win over Australia and will be aiming to carry that momentum into their UK tour. They famously thrashed England by seven wickets in the Champions Trophy earlier this year, Jos Buttler’s last game as ODI captain.
England, on the other hand, is in a transitional phase, blending youth with experience and experimenting with combinations. All eyes will be on Baker, the rookie quick who could just be England’s next pace sensation.
The first ball at Headingley is set to be bowled on Tuesday afternoon, and it could be the start of something very special.
Curious stat: Baker is the third player in 2025 to make his England debut after playing fewer than 10 first-class matches, a clear sign that selectors are putting more faith in white-ball performance and raw potential.
