Josh Baker, a promising left-arm spinner and lower-order batter, played 47 times for Worcestershire and twice for England U19s; Worcestershire announced his death a day after he appeared for their second XI; the Pears to feature his squad number 33 on all shirts for rest of the season
Thursday 16 May 2024 16:53, UK
Emotive tributes for Worcestershire's Josh Baker, who died last week at the age of just 20, took place on day one of Kent vs Worcestershire.
A minute's applause took place before the match began with both teams wearing black armbands and the flags flew at half-mast over the Frank Woolley Stand.
Baker made 47 appearances across all formats for Worcestershire since turning professional in 2021, the last being against Durham in the County Championship just last month.
The Pears said they were "devastated" by the loss of a young player who has played two Vitality County Championship matches this season. Worcestershire shirts will feature Baker's squad number of 33 below the club crest for the rest of the season as a tribute to their former player.
A Gareth Roderick century left Worcestershire in control after day one of their Vitality County Championship match with Kent at Canterbury.
Roderick drove Agar through cow corner to reach 100 but Evison belatedly gave a dwindling number of home supporters something to smile about when he sent his off stump cart-wheeling, before getting the night-watcher Joe Leach lbw for one at the end of the penultimate over.
Roderick said afterwards he was inspired by Baker's "presence" as he batted.
He said: "It was a very emotional day, obviously. It was a lovely tribute for Josh. The boys are devastated about what's happened but we've pulled together as a group.
"It was a lovely ovation in his memory and I think it affected the boys quite deeply. We were quite moved and we certainly felt his presence with us today.
"We talked about it this morning, sometimes things are a bit bigger than cricket and a bit more important so I think today was just to make sure we pulled together as a unit to remember him. That's what we did and thankfully we put together a decent day.
"Being brutally honest this morning the round of applause had quite a profound effect on me. I didn't think it would, maybe naively, but I certainly felt him today and I thought about him quite a lot when I was out there. I think the boys can all feel him sitting on their shoulders in the dressing room."
