David Baker RIP

 

David “Doughie” Baker, a leg-break and googly bowler, was one of a handful of players to make the journey North from Kent to Notts. Unfortunately for him, he was not able to match Mark Ealham or Dave Halfyard, who both secured a place in the Notts first team and in the affections of the Trent Bridge faithful.

Baker was born Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire on 26th July 1935 and was educated at Bermondsey Central School in South London. He was a prolific wicket-taker for Honor Oak CC and he honed his skills at the Gover Cricket School and Kent’s Eltham indoor classes. In 1959 he played for the Club Cricket Conference against MCC, the Army, the Royal Navy and United London Banks.

Following National Service in the RAF, Baker joined the Kent staff in 1960 and impressed in 15 Second Eleven Championship games for Kent in 1960 taking 48 wickets @16.54 including match figures of 10-82 (7-70 in the first innings) against Hampshire Seconds at Sittingbourne.

After taking 25 wickets in the first five Second Eleven Championship matches of 1961, Baker made his first-class debut for Kent versus Glamorgan at the Bat and Ball Ground, Gravesend on 31st May 1961, dismissing two former England Test batters, namely Gilbert Parkhouse and Peter Walker. He made 14 first-class appearances for Kent that season, taking 40 wickets @27.97, twice taking five wickets in an innings (5-47 v Essex at Colchester and 5-39 v Lancashire at Blackpool). His best performance was against Yorkshire at Dover where his first innings 4-25 included the wickets of Phil Sharpe, Ray Illingworth and Vic Wilson. His figures for 1962 and 1963 were disappointing, 20 wickets @41.85 and eight wickets @57.87 respectively. He did, though have innings figures of 5-90 versus Somerset at Taunton in May 1963 and perhaps more significantly match figures of 5-72 versus Notts in a 184-run Kent victory at Trent Bridge in August 1962.

Released by Kent at the end of the 1963 season, he was specially registered for Notts for the 1964 season. Starting the season in the Second Team, Baker made his first-class debut for Notts against Derbyshire at Ilkeston on 18th July 1964 taking two wickets in a match Notts lost by 162 runs. He retained his place for the following two games against Northants and Yorkshire at Trent Bridge, but he made little impression taking a solitary wicket. The following season he made a further four first-class appearances for Notts obtaining seven wickets @36.57 including first innings figures of 4-78 against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge. His final first-class game for Notts was on 26th, 28th and 29th June 1965 as Notts lost to Yorkshire by 207 runs at Trent Bridge. A rabbit with the bat his top score of 10 for Notts which was made on his debut at Ilkeston and in all first-class cricket his best was 15 for Kent versus Gloucestershire at Canterbury in 1961.

Baker had much more success for Notts seconds during his two seasons on the Notts staff taking 111 wickets @17.81 in 36 Second Eleven and Minor Counties matches. His best figures of 7-96 (12-124 in the match) were obtained against Lincolnshire at Collingham in 1964. He was a regular in the Notts Seconds team that reached the Minor Counties Final in 1965, but despite having first innings figures of 6-18, Notts succumbed to an eight wicket defeat against Somerset Seconds at Taunton.

His first-class record is given below:

 

BATTING	M	I	NO		RUNS		HS		AV’GE		CT		100	50		30		0
Notts	7	9	4		16		10		3.20		3		-	-		-		2
All matches	34	37	13		101		15		4.20		11		-	-		-		10
BOWLING	OVERS	M		RUNS		W		AV’GE		ARPO		BPW			BB		5wI
Notts	144	36		437		10		43.70		3.03		86.40			4-78		-
All matches	908.4	219		2856		78		36.61		3.14		69.89			5-47		3

 

Baker had a long career in local club cricket, including a spell with Roth’s Amateurs, and was the licensee of The Sherwin Arms at Bramcote for several years. Baker died aged 86 years after a long illness on 26th December 2021. MAG