Herbert Baker (cricketer)

Herbert Zouch Baker (7 February 1880 – 26 August 1958) was an English cricketer in the early years of the 20th century.

Herbert Baker

Personal information
Full name	Herbert Zouch Baker
Born	7 February 1880 Beckenham, Kent
Died	26 August 1958 (aged 78) Orpington, Kent
Batting	Right-handed
Relations	Percy Baker (brother)
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1903–1904	Kent
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 12 Runs scored 211 Batting average 11.72 100s/50s 0/1 Top score 82 Balls bowled 190 Wickets 5 Bowling average 21.60 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 2/68 Catches/stumpings 6/–
Source: CricInfo, 18 March 2017

Early life

Baker was born at Beckenham in Kent to Alfred John Baker, a stockbroker and to Alice Moody, one of six sons and two daughters. He was educated at Wellington College.[1][2]

Cricket

Baker played club cricket for Beckenham and is said to have "dominated" play at the club in the years before World War I with his "outstanding all round performances".[3] He was described as "a stroke-playing, correct batsman and a bowler with immaculate control of length, moving the ball both ways, as well as a fine fielder".[3]

Baker made his first-class cricket debut for Kent during the county's North American tour in September and October 1903. He played in both first-class matches during the tour against the Gentlemen of Philadelphia.[4] Baker played nine times for Kent during the 1904 season, eight times in the 1904 County Championship and once against MCC. His final match for the county was against Somerset at Foxgrove Road in Beckenham during 1904. He made his final first-class appearance for JR Mason's XI in a match at Old Buckenham Hall Cricket Ground in 1913.[2][5]

Family and later life

Baker's brother Percy also played for Kent between 1900 and 1902. The brothers played together at Beckenham alongside another brother Alfred.[2][6][7] Baker was a stockbroker's clerk by profession, in later life becoming a sports outfitter.[8] He died at Orpington in 1958 aged 78.[1]

References

1. Herbert Baker, CricInfo. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
2. Carlaw D (2020) Kent County Cricketers A to Z. Part One: 1806–1914 (revised edition), p.37. (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 2020-12-22.)
3. Club history, Beckenham Cricket Club. Retrieved 2017-03-18. (Archived 2018-03-19)
4. First-class batting and fielding for Kent, Kent in North America, 1903, The Cricketer. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
5. Herbert Baker, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2017-03-18. (subscription required)
6. Carlaw, pp.38–39.
7. Lewis P (2014) For Kent and Country, pp.98–99. Brighton: Reveille Press.
8. Notices of claims, The London Gazette, 1958-09-09. Retrieved 2017-03-18.

External lists

Herbert Baker at ESPNcricinfo