| James Baker | |
| Full Name: | James Bray Baker |
| Birth Date: | 1792 |
| Birth Place: | Hailsham, Sussex |
| Death Date: | 30 January |
| Death Place: | Hailsham, Sussex |
| Club1: | Sussex XI |
| Club2: | Kent XI |
| Type1: | FC |
| Debutdate1: | 29 July |
| Debutyear1: | 1816 |
| Debutfor1: | Sussex XI |
| Debutagainst1: | Epsom |
| Lastdate1: | 21 July |
| Lastyear1: | 1828 |
| Lastfor1: | Sussex XI |
| Lastagainst1: | England XI |
| Hidedeliveries: | true |
| Columns: | 1 |
| Column1: | First-class |
| Matches1: | 15 |
| Runs1: | 219 |
| Bat Avg1: | 8.42 |
| 100S/50S1: | 0/0 |
| Top Score1: | 27 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 11/– |
| Source: | https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/james-baker-10339 CricInfo |
| Date: | 17 June |
| Year: | 2022 |
James Bray Baker (1792 – 30 January 1839) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1816 to 1828. He was born at Hailsham in Sussex and was mainly associated with Sussex cricket teams.[1]
Baker played in 15 first-class matches, making his first-class debut for a Sussex side against Epsom at Lord's in 1816. He played seven matches for Sussex sides, making his final first-class appearance for the side in 1828 against an England XI.[1] He played four matches for The Bs against England XIs,[2] and four for Kent sides, all as a given man against Sussex in 1825 and 1826 in matches organised by the Hawkhurst club, the first matches played between two county sides since the end of the Napoleonic Wars.[3] [4] [5] Baker was a member of the Hawkhurst side; the village is in Kent, and the cricket team was considered one of the best sides in England at the time.[6] He scored a total of 219 runs in 27 innings with a batting average of 8.42 runs per innings.[1]
Baker was a member of the Sussex team in two of the three roundarm trial matches against England teams in 1827 played to decide whether roundarm bowling should be legalised.[2] He was described as a "capital but not very safe hitter and a safe field"[7] and was originally a farmer before becoming a publican in Hailsham later in life. He died in the village in January 1839.[6]