Sonny Baker: Hampshire bowler named in England squad for South Africa tour

Hampshire bowler Sonny Baker has been named in England’s Test squad for their tour of South Africa.

Hampshire fast bowler Eddie Jack and batter Ben Mayes will also tour South Africa with England Lions following their current tour of the West Indies.

Baker made his Test debut this summer at The Oval against New Zealand and claimed three wickets. He has also featured heavily in England’s white ball teams, taking 12 wickets in eight matches.

The 23-year-old joined Hampshire in late 2024 and has since taken 44 wickets in 13 County Championship games, including four five-wicket hauls.

England begin their tour of South Africa against a CSA XI in Durban on Wednesday, December 9, with the three-match Test series ending in Cape Town on Thursday, January 7.

Jack is currently on tour with England as they face Australia in a white ball series, which begins on Friday, November 13. Before that, he was part of England Lions’ tour of the West Indies alongside Mayes and fellow Hampshire team-mate Scott Currie.

In his two T20 matches against West Indies A, Jack claimed two wickets for 28 runs, while Mayes scored 31 runs.

England squad for three-Test series in South Africa: Joe Root (captain, Yorkshire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Cook (Essex), Jordan Cox (Essex), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Emilio Gay (Durham), Dan Lawrence (Surrey), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire).

England Lions red-ball squad for two first-class matches in South Africa: Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), James Coles (Sussex), Mason Crane (Glamorgan), Henry Crocombe (Sussex), Matthew Fisher (Surrey), Jack Haynes (Nottinghamshire), George Hill (Yorkshire), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Ben Mayes (Hampshire), Ben McKinney (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), James Rew (Somerset), Thomas Rew (Somerset), Mitch Stanley (Lancashire), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire), Asa Tribe (Glamorgan).

England Lions 50-over squad: Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Mason Crane (Glamorgan), Adam Finch (Worcestershire), Matthew Fisher (Surrey), Calvin Harrison (Northamptonshire), Jack Haynes (Nottinghamshire), George Hill (Yorkshire), Ben Mayes (Hampshire), Ben McKinney (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), James Rew (Somerset), Naavya Sharma (Middlesex), Ekansh Singh (Kent), Asa Tribe (Glamorgan).