Bone Broth And Notebooks - Meet England's Latest Bowling Recruit

Sonny Baker is seldom short of words.

With nan awesome James Anderson a Hundred team-mate for a month, England's newest gait bowler has had to rein it in.

"I've been reasonably self-conscious," he tells BBC Sport.

"I cognize I inquire a batch of questions, truthful I've been trying to easiness him into that and not conscionable spray him consecutive away."

When nan 22-year-old received a telephone telephone from an chartless number connected Friday greeting – a number that it later became clear belonged to England coach Brendon McCullum who was astir to give him his first world call-up – for once, Baker was genuinely tongue-tied.

"I said to him 'I committedness I'm usually much talkative than this. I'm conscionable a spot mislaid for words'," says Baker.

"Baz was for illustration 'Yeah, I've heard…'."

Baker, who grew up successful Devon and switched his cricketing location from Somerset to Hampshire past year, loves talking and accelerated bowling is his favourite topic.

Whether tactics, nan mechanics of an action aliases looking aft his body, nan Hampshire speedy is simply a self-confessed bowling nerd.

At times, it pushes nan boundaries.

He drinks bony broth each time successful an effort to debar a repetition of nan backmost accent fractures that dogged nan early portion of his career.

"You fundamentally put bones successful boiling water, nan aforesaid arsenic a slow cooker, and it conscionable dissolves nan minerals retired of nan bone," he says. "You get collagen successful location arsenic well.

"If you chuck guidelines veg aliases immoderate successful there, a spot of achromatic pepper, it tastes rather nice.

"I deliberation it has made a large difference."

Baker had his first accent fracture astatine 17, astatine which constituent he was considering a profession arsenic a teacher.

Others followed successful 2022 and 2023 but, whether down to nan bony broth aliases not, Baker has been free of specified issues since and is making up for mislaid time.

After impressing successful Australia pinch England Lions past winter, he was awarded an England improvement contract successful February earlier he had played a lucifer successful nan County Championship.

A Division One debut came successful April – a first five-wicket haul a week later. But it has been while playing for Manchester Originals successful The Hundred that Baker has really caught nan eye.

David Warner was hopping erstwhile Baker opened pinch 5 consecutive dots while no-one, not moreover England bowler Jofra Archer, has bowled much balls quicker than 87mph than Baker – a statistic that makes nan youngster grin.

"It's what I find nosy astir nan game," Baker says. "The injuries I've had person almost fixed maine clarity connected that.

"Some days you're going to spell for runs and it would beryllium truthful overmuch easier if I bowled 70mph nibblers.

"I could cognize wherever it's going, balls wouldn't get edged to four, I'd spell for a batch little and abruptly I wouldn't consciousness truthful rubbish successful myself.

"But you besides wouldn't person those days wherever it starts reverse swinging and everyone's reasoning 'give this kid nan ball. Let's go' and travel retired of nan barroom to watch.

"It's nan trade-off, isn't it? I cognize that it's apt to travel pinch much injuries. I'm astatine bid pinch that."

Others person not been arsenic fortunate arsenic Anderson erstwhile it comes to Baker's fulfilling his thirst for knowledge.

He remains refreshingly enthusiastic and during The Hundred successful 2022 chewed nan receptor of Pakistan speedy Wahab Riaz.

He besides utilized his contacts to way down and telephone up Brett Lee and Shaun Tait – 2 of nan quickest bowlers Australia has ever produced.

"Earlier successful my profession I, not asked questions for nan liking of asking them, but I didn't cognize what answers I was trying to get," he says.

"I would conscionable inquire things to effort and cod each nan accusation that I perchance could to deliberation whereas arsenic I've learned a spot more, I've astir apt sewage much circumstantial pinch my questions."

Baker is besides a prolific note-maker, thing he puts down to his education.

At nan clip of his first accent fracture he was targeting a spot to study biology astatine nan University of Oxford and now he records study connected guidance batters successful a small book, on pinch plans and hopes for nan future.

"I've conscionable recovered it keeps maine progressive successful nan study worldly and past really retrieve it," Baker says.

"It would beryllium an absolute nightmare if you're not really judge whether you're meant to vessel wide aliases consecutive and past you prime nan incorrect one.

"You can't really warrant that to yourself astatine nan extremity of nan game."

The Hundred intends location is already a page successful Baker's notebook titled pinch nan sanction of an Australian great.

Of nan 12 balls Baker bowled to Steve Smith erstwhile Welsh Fire hosted Manchester Originals past Monday, 3 were deed for 4 and different 3 resulted successful a mendacious shot.

"It has been surreal, penning notes connected Steve Smith reasoning 'am I really going to beryllium opening nan bowling astatine him?'" Baker says.

This is nan institution Baker now keeps, nevertheless and, having rehabbed successful Sydney aft his astir caller backmost injury, he has spent nan past 2 winters successful Australia.

Another will apt travel this twelvemonth pinch nan young speedy expected to beryllium portion of nan Lions squad shadowing nan Test squad astir nan Ashes series.

From location thing tin happen.

Far much improbable names person been plucked by England to make a Test debut down under.

"I mean, that would beryllium bully fun, wouldn't it?" Baker says.

"I'll mention backmost to notes connected immoderate matters and Steve Smith is 1 of nan red-ball GOATs [greatest of all-time] truthful I'd decidedly beryllium coming backmost to that study if I extremity up needing it.

"But let's conscionable interest astir nan adjacent fewer games first. Let's not get excessively acold retired of ourselves.

"We've sewage a Hundred to effort and triumph and past South Africa bid to effort and triumph and past Ireland bid effort and triumph measurement earlier we deliberation astir immoderate of each of that stuff."