South Africa hammered England by seven wickets, after bowling them out for 131 in just 24.3 overs. It was a thumping win and a half for the Proteas as the hosts, fresh off the Hundred, which ended just a couple of days before the start of the series, were caught unawares as Keshav Maharaj ran through their middle and lower order. England collapsed from 102/3 to 131 all out, while the Proteas ended up chasing down the target in less than 21 overs.
Since the target was achieved fast, England bowlers were on the receiving end and the one to get the most tap was the 22-year-old debutant Sonny Baker. Baker, who impressed one and all on the A tours for the Lions and for Hampshire in domestic cricket and the Manchester Originals in the Hundred, was taken to the cleaners by Aiden Markram.
Baker had conceded 56 runs in his four overs and even though he was going for runs, skipper Harry Brook pushed him for a couple more and he ended up leaking 20 more, registering the worst figures by an England bowler on his ODI debut. Baker broke a nine-year-old record, which was in Liam Dawson's name before Tuesday.
Worst figures by an England bowler on ODI debut
0/76 - Sonny Baker (vs South Africa), Leeds 2025
2/70 - Liam Dawson (vs Pakistan), Cardiff, 2016
4/67 - David Lawrence (vs West Indies), Lord's 1991
"I was just trying to get him a wicket, to be honest," Brook said after the match. "Obviously we didn't get off to the greatest of starts with the ball. After the start that they got, I knew that we were never really going to win the game. It was just a matter of trying to get him a pole at that time, and the lads trying to develop and upskill their skills, that they've been working on in practice and trying to take them into a game," he added while commending Markram for his sensational knock as he raced to a 23-ball fifty.
"It's not probably the ideal start, having to defend 130," Brook admitted at the post-match presentations while acknowledging that it wasn't a great day for Baker, but the whole team got behind him and was just hoping that he would get a wicket somehow.
"Everybody will get behind him. That's the nature of this group. We are such a tight-knit group. We're all good mates. We spend a lot of time away from the game together as well.
"He's had a tough day, but the way that he just kept on cracking on and digging deep, to keep on running in and try and get wickets there for us, even after getting a little bit of tap, was awesome to see. And that's exactly what we asked of every bowler," he added.
South Africa took a 1-0 lead in the series and England will aim to make a comeback at Lord's on Thursday, September 4.
