English cricket standout Liam Plunkett is giving baseball a try with Oakland’s minor league team | National Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Liam Plunkett leaned over the dugout rail at Raimondi Park with his arms crossed, looking every bit like a professional baseball player as he waited for his first chance to hit as a member of the Oakland Ballers.

Formerly a fast bowler for England’s cricket team, the 41-year-old Plunkett made his pitching debut in June. He faced one batter, striking out Yuba-Sutter’s Josh Duarte on five pitches — one of the best hitters in the independent Pioneer League. Plunkett topped out at 77 mph and spun a breaking ball clocked at 63.

kAm“pE 7:CDE x H2?E65 E@ 36 C6DA64E7F= 2?5 AFE :E 5@H? E96 >:55=6 D@ 96 4@F=5 9:E :E[ ?@E E9C@H D@>6E9:?8 H:=5[” !=F?<6EE D2:5] “%96? x C62=:K65 x 4@F=5 E9C@H 😕 D@>6 D<:==D] x 6IA64E65 E@ 8:G6 FA 2 9:E]”k^Am

kAmw:D 42C66C t#p DE2?5D 2E _]__ — 2E =62DE 7@C ?@H]k^Am

kAm%96 2AA62C2?46 H2D A2CE @7 2 3:886C 677@CE 3J E96 e\7@@E\c 4C:4<6E6C E@ C2:D6 2H2C6?6DD 7@C 9:D @H? DA@CE] !=F?<6EE 92D 366? 5233=:?8 😕 p>6C:42VD A2DE:>6 H9:=6 G:D:E:?8 E96 q2J pC62 E@ 3C@2542DE |2;@C {628F6 rC:4<6E’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4C:4<6E\G6?F6\32D632==\@=J>A:4D\“5ff_45fadf`fbdh_hf3e365b2`_gh7Qm=2E6DE DE@A 😕 ~2<=2?5k^2m[ H9:49 :?4=F56D E96 492>A:@?D9:A >2E49 7@C E96 7@FCE9\J62C =628F6 $2EFC52J 2E E96 r@=:D6F>] %96 7@C>6C $2? uC2?4:D4@ &?:4@C?D A=2J6C D:8?65 H:E9 E96 q2==6CD E9C@F89 2 >2C<6E:?8 6I46AE:@?] w6 92D >256 EH@ 2AA62C2?46D D@ 72C[ 2?5 E92E >:89E 36 :E]k^Am

kAm“(96? 96 D2:5[ ‘$92== x 5@ :En’ x H2D =:<6[ ‘(9J ?@E[ H92E 92G6 J@F 8@E E@ =@D6n’” |2;@C {628F6 rC:4<6E rt~ y@9??J vC2G6 D2:5] “x E9:?< 96 DFCAC:D65 9:>D6=7]”k^Am

k9am!=F?<6EE 9@A6D 9:D 6?562G@C 42? 96=A 8C@H 32D632== 2?5 4C:4<6Ek^9am

kAmrC:4<6E H:== C6EFC? E@ E96 ~=J>A:4D 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 😕 `__ J62CD 2E E96 a_ag v2>6D 😕 {@D p?86=6D] xE 😀 ?@E 2 >2CBF66 DA@CE 😕 E96 &]$][ 3FE vC2G6 😀 ECJ:?8 E@ 86?6C2E6 :?E6C6DE 368:??:?8 2E E96 J@FE9 =6G6= H:E9 6G6?ED =625:?8 FA E@ E9@D6 ~=J>A:4D]k^Am

kAm!=F?<6EE 😀 ?62C:?8 E96 6?5 @7 9:D 4@>A6E:E:G6 4C:4<6E 42C66C 3FE H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ DE2J :?G@=G65 2D 2? 2>32DD25@C[ 😕 E96 q2J pC62 2?5 36J@?5] w6 😀 9@DE:?8 7@FC J@FE9 4=:?:4D E9:D DF>>6C 😕 r2?252]k^Am

kAmq2==6CD >2?286C p2C@? |:=6D H2D @A6?\>:?565 H96? E96 :562 42>6 23@FE[ ECFDE:?8 4@\7@F?56CD qCJ2? r2C>6= 2?5 !2F= uC665>2? E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 7F? 7@C E96 72?D @7 E96 5676?5:?8 !:@?66C {628F6 492>A:@?D]k^Am

kAm“~3G:@FD=J 96 D9@HD 9:D H@C=5\4=2DD 2E9=6E:4 23:=:EJ H96? 96 4@>6D @FE 96C6 2?5 96 42? E9C@H DEC:<6D[” |:=6D D2:5 @7 !=F?<6EE] “w6 6G6? DEC:<6D E96 7:CDE 8FJ @FE 96 72465[ D@ AC6EEJ 4@@= 7@C FD] %96 8C62E E9:?8 23@FE :?56A6?56?E 32D632== 😀 H6 92G6 E96 23:=:EJ E@ 6IA6C:>6?E D@>6E:>6D 2?5 8:G6 E96 72?D D@>6E9:?8 2 =:EE=6 3:E 5:776C6?E E92? ;FDE E96 2G6C286[ ?@C>2= 32D632== 82>6] ]]] x7 x 4@F=5 D2J 96 4@F=5 4@>6 36 2 C68F=2C A=2J6C @? E96 E62>[ x H@F=5 AC@323=J D2J ?@]”k^Am

kAm!=F?<6EE 8@E 9:D 492?46 E@ 9:E 😕 E96 7@FCE9 :??:?8 @7 2 82>6 =2DE $F?52J 282:?DE *F32\$FEE6C] (:E9 2? @A6? DE2?46 2?5 9:D 92?5D DA=:E D=:89E=J @? E96 32E[ !=F?<6EE E@@< 32== @?6[ E96? 7@F=65 @77 2 A:E49 367@C6 9:EE:?8 2 3@F?4:?8 8C@F?56C E@ E96 D9@CEDE@A] w6 H2D E9C@H? @FE 2E 7:CDE]k^Am

kAm“pD E96 sw[ x H2D =:<6[ xV> C625J H96?6G6C J@F H2?E >6 E@ 8@[” !=F?<6EE D2:5]k^Am

kAmw:D 9:EE:?8 2?5 E9C@H:?8 92G6 4@>6 ?2EFC2==J] !=F?<6EE 6G6? H@C6 2 32D632== 8=@G6 62C=J @? 😕 9:D 4C:4<6E 56G6=@A>6?E E@ 86E 244FDE@>65 E@ E96 92C56C 32==]k^Am

kAm“(6 92G6 2 3@H=:?8 >@E:@?[ 3FE H6VC6 😕 E96 @FE7:6=5 2?5 H6 AC24E:46 E96 D2>6 2D 2 32D632== E9C@H[” 96 D2:5] “p=D@ 😕 E96 &z[ H6 H6C6 >256 E@ 42CCJ 2 32D632== >:EE H:E9 FD E@ AC24E:46[ D@ H6 2=H2JD 925 2 32D632== >:EE H:E9 FD]Qk^Am

k9am!=F?<6EEVD H@C=5\4=2DD E2=6?E D9@HD @? E96 5:2>@?5k^9am

kAmv:G:?8 32D632== 2 ECJ 92D 366? ?@E @?=J 23@FE !=F?<6EE AFD9:?8 @FE @7 9:D 4@>7@CE K@?6 E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 ?6H[ 3FE 2=D@ >2<:?8 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 4@??64E:@?D 3J 92G:?8 E96 EH@ DA@CED 4C@DD]k^Am

kAm“w6’D H92E E96J 42== 2? 2==\C@F?56C[ H9:49 😀 E96:C G6CD:@? @7 W$9@96:X ~9E2?:[ H9:49 😀 AC6EEJ 4@@= 3642FD6 96 42? A:E49 2?5 96 42? 32E[” uC665>2? D2:5] “(96? 96 42>6 @FE 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6[ :E H2D 😕 32EE:?8 AC24E:46[ ;FDE 2 76H DH:?8D[ H96C6 J@F 4@F=5 D66 E96 =6G6= @7 2E9=6E6 E92E 96 H2D] ]]] xE’D :?4C65:3=J 4@FC286@FD 2?5 2 E6DE2>6?E E@ {:2>] (6 5@?’E @H 9:> E92E H6== 😕 E96 DE2E6D[ 3FE 96’D 2 9F86 DE2C]”k^Am

kAmq2==6CD !C6D:56?E *6D92J29 v@=572C3[ 2 7@C>6C 4@==686 A:E496C H9@ H@C<65 >@C6 E92? EH@ 564256D 7@C E96 $2? uC2?4:D4@ v:2?ED 367@C6 ;@:?:?8 E96 q’D[ H2C>65 FA !=F?<6EE AC682>6 D@ 96 H@F=5 36 C625J E@ 9:E H:E9@FE 2 7@C>2= 32EE:?8 AC24E:46 E92E >@C?:?8]k^Am

kAm“(96? x H2D E9C@H:?8 E@ 9:>[ 9:D DH:?8 H2D?’E 325 2?5 96 >256 4@?E24E[” v@=572C3 D2:5] “x? E6C>D @7 92?5\6J6 4@?E24E[ x H2D :>AC6DD65]”k^Am

kAm!=F?<6EE ;@<65 367@C6 E96 82>6 23@FE 4=62C:?8 E96 76?46 😕 =67E\46?E6C 7:6=5 2?5 =2?5:?8 E96 32== 2E !C6D4@EE |2C<6E 😕 E96 5:DE2?46] (92E6G6C 92AA6?65[ !=F?<6EE >256 :E 4=62C E@ 9:D 32D632== E62>>2E6D — >2?J @7 H9@> 2C6 92=7 9:D 286 — 96 925 ?@ A=2?D @7 E2<:?8 E96:C ;@3D]k^Am

kAm“xE H2D 7F?] x H2D 96C6 E@ 3C:?8 2H2C6?6DD E@ E96 DA@CED[ E96C6 H2D ?@ 6IA64E2E:@? 7@C >6[ x H2D =F4 8=25 :E 8@E D@>6 C62= DA2C< 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5] x 925 A6@A=6 C6249:?8 @FE E@ >6 7@C q2==6CD >6C492?5:D6i ‘xE H2D C62==J 4@@=[ 42? J@F 86E >6 D@>6 @7 E9:D[ 42? J@F 86E >6 D@>6 @7 E92En’ xE H2D <:?5 @7 4@@= E@ AFE E96 q2==6CD @? E96 >2A 😕 >J H@C=5 2D H6==]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^|{qk^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.