Former England Pacer Liam Plunkett Steps onto Baseball Diamond for Professional Debut

Former England fast bowler Liam Plunkett swapped the cricket pitch for a baseball diamond, making his professional debut with a U.S. minor‑league club.

Plunkett took the mound for the Oakland Ballers in a Pioneer Baseball League matchup against the Yuba‑Sutter Freebirds on Friday evening on the West Coast.

At 41, he delivered five pitches, striking out Josh Duarte of the Freebirds before a crowd of 1,878 at Raimondi Park, yet the Ballers fell short, losing 18‑11.

Plunkett, a member of England’s 2019 World Cup‑winning squad, moved to the United States five years ago and now competes in Major League Cricket (MLC), the nation’s premier T20 league.

He described his pitching style as “a bit unusual,” blending elements of cricket bowling and baseball pitching.

“I have thrown ceremonial first pitches for the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins as an MLC ambassador, but this outing felt considerably more serious,” Plunkett told BBC Sport.

“I believe I am the first English cricketer to appear in a professional baseball game. Although it is several levels below Major League Baseball, it remains rewarding to have competed professionally in two bat‑and‑ball sports.”

Plunkett signed with the Ballers under the Pioneer Baseball League’s marketing player exception, which permits clubs to exceed regular roster limits.

This provision lets teams add one non‑prospect—typically a veteran or former MLB player—to their 25‑man active roster, although Plunkett’s outing is not expected to lead to a lasting career shift.

He remains on the roster of the San Francisco Unicorns for MLC but has not yet played for the franchise this season.

During a pre‑game training session with the Ballers, Plunkett experimented with batting before concluding that pitching suited him better.

“The batting swing path differs greatly from cricket, particularly when facing a 90‑mph pitch,” Plunkett added.

“I would have loved to crush a home run—something that would surely have gone viral!”

“But simply making my debut and recording a strikeout was more than I could have hoped for.”

Plunkett’s international career for England includes 13 Test matches, 89 ODIs and 22 T20Is, during which he claimed 201 wickets.

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