Worcestershire spinner Josh Baker clocked up a personal milestone during the Vitality County Championship encounter with Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge and Head Coach Alan Richardson was delighted with his performance.
Baker was brought into the side after it became clear the game would be played on a used pitch and he sent down 53 overs – the most he has ever bowled in a Championship fixture for Worcestershire.
Apart from a brief onslaught by Joe Clarke, Baker exercised good control throughout, conceding only 2.9 runs per over despite a short boundary on one side of the ground, and picking up four important wickets.
Richardson is keen to give the 20-year-old as many opportunities as possible to “keep evolving as a cricketer.”
Richardson said: “I thought Josh acquitted himself really well. It was a real challenge, a short sided boundary, a wicket that spun a little but did it slowly.
“He probably got the worse of the conditions in having to bowl on it first against a very good side with some very good players.
“I thought the way he handled himself, he did really well. He held up an end for the majority of the first innings which I thought he did really well.
“He was put under pressure by Joe (Clarke) a couple of times and did really well with that, In the second innings, to bowl at Ben Duckett, one of the best players of spin in the country, he also acquitted himself well with that, bowling to a short legside boundary.
“He came into the game more and more. and, we talk of a team performance, and he was a huge part of that.”
Richardson added: “Josh went away to Sydney for the winter and played a lot of cricket and has come back in a pretty good place in terms of that.
“He will learn along the way and we’ve got a 20-year-old who we think is going to be a good cricketer in time and we will hopefully give him as many opportunities as we can to keep evolving as a cricketer.
“He can bat, and do really well down the order, and he is a good fielder. It’s exciting times for Josh.”
