In Australia, We Feel Him With Us: Josh Baker’s Parents on Grief, Cricket and an Ashes Journey That Still Connects Them

The Melbourne Cricket Ground has always carried a certain magic for Paul and Lisa Baker. This time, as England sealed a rare Ashes victory on Australian soil, it carried something else too – a quiet, overwhelming sense of closeness to a son they lost far too soon. In Australia, they say, they feel nearer to Josh Baker than anywhere else.

Fifteen years ago, the Bakers sat in the stands at the MCG with a wide-eyed seven-year-old boy who loved cricket with a purity that only a child can. Today, they return without him. Josh, a talented left-arm spinner who went on to play 47 matches for Worcestershire, died in May 2024 from an undiagnosed heart condition. He was just 20.

Yet in the rhythms of an Ashes tour – the early starts, the familiar grounds, the noise and colour of the Barmy Army – Josh’s presence still lingers.

Australia, Ashes memories and a bond that never fades

When England wrapped up victory in Melbourne, Paul Baker found himself fighting back tears. It wasn’t only about the result. It was about memory.

“It was a moment of reflection,” Paul tells BBC Sport. “Seeing England win at the MCG brought everything back. I’ve got such fond memories of sharing that moment with Josh in 2010.”

Cricket has always been the thread running through the Baker family. Paul, a former second XI captain at Redditch Cricket Club, passed on his love for the game early. Lisa admits she knew little about cricket before meeting Paul, but it didn’t take long for the sport to become central to their lives.

Their first Ashes tour came in 2002-03, when Lisa was five months pregnant with Josh. By the time England returned to Australia in 2010-11, Josh was old enough to fully absorb it all – the drama, the noise, the community.

“He loved the Barmy Army,” Paul recalls. “The singing, the chanting – his eyes were on stalks. We even took him to the Barmy Army pub one night and he absolutely loved it.”

Australia, in many ways, became a second home. The Bakers hosted Australian overseas players over the years, and Josh himself spent a winter playing cricket in Sydney shortly before his death. For Lisa and Paul, returning for the first Ashes without him felt inevitable.

“Life is too short,” Lisa says quietly. “Josh was an only child. We just thought, ‘Let’s do it’.”

Living with loss while the cricket goes on

There is no easy way to describe what it feels like to grieve while the world continues as normal. For the Bakers, this Ashes tour has been both comforting and cruel.

“It’s tough,” Lisa admits. “The memories keep popping up on my phone. They’re wonderful, but they absolutely break your heart. I look back at them and think, that was when we were happy. Not that we’re not happy now – but it’s very different.”

They have stayed in Australia for the duration of the series. England’s struggles on the field have been frustrating, even “underwhelming” at times, but the couple have embraced the country regardless. Lisa has even ticked off a skydive, something Josh would no doubt have loved.

Watching cricket, though, brings mixed emotions.

“The England games are comforting,” Paul explains. “I wouldn’t expect to see Josh there. It’s the Worcestershire games, the club matches, that are harder. That’s where I still expect him to be.”

Those connections remain strong. Josh played age-group cricket alongside Jacob Bethell, and also against him. When Bethell made his Ashes debut at the MCG, scoring a vital 40 in England’s second-innings chase, it meant more to the Bakers than most.

They later bumped into Bethell during England’s break in Noosa. While team-mates headed elsewhere, Bethell stayed behind to spend time with them.

“It was lovely to see him,” Lisa says. “He seemed in a good place. Watching him bat like that in Melbourne was really special.”

From Redditch to the MCG: pride amid the pain

Another familiar name dominated headlines in Melbourne: Josh Tongue. His five-wicket haul earned him player of the match honours, and for the Bakers it was deeply personal.

Paul once played alongside Tongue’s father, Phil, at Redditch. Years later, Josh Baker and Josh Tongue would become team-mates at Worcestershire.

“I remember seeing Josh Tongue as a four-year-old,” Paul says, smiling. “Bowling on the square, chasing balls around. To see him do that on the MCG… it was very, very special. We’re incredibly proud of him.”

That sense of pride has been vital since the darkest day of their lives. On the morning Josh passed away, he was due to play in the final day of a Worcestershire second XI match against Somerset. Since then, the bond between the Bakers and the county has only grown stronger.

“We feel we have to be there for them,” Paul says. “As much as we’re struggling, they need our support too.”

“And we need them,” Lisa adds.

Worcestershire, JB33 and giving something back

That mutual support was on full display in September, when Worcestershire won a dramatic One-Day Cup final against Hampshire at Trent Bridge. Josh’s best friend, Henry Cullen, hit the only ball he faced for four to seal victory.

“We didn’t think they were going to do it,” Lisa recalls. “And then suddenly, they had.”

What followed was even more meaningful. As the Bakers prepared to leave, bowler Adam Finch stopped them.

“He said, ‘Where are you going? This is your day as much as ours,’” Lisa says. “They took us into the changing rooms for a glass of champagne. They didn’t have to do that, but they wanted us included.”

Worcestershire wore the logo of the JB33 Foundation on their shirts that day. Lisa and Paul set up the charity in Josh’s memory, determined that his name – and his story – would continue to make a difference.

So far, the foundation has raised £65,000 through events such as a ball at New Road and a charity golf day. The challenge now is knowing how best to use it.

“I thought raising the money would be the hard part,” Paul admits. “But spending it in the right way, changing lives, that’s the real challenge.”

The aim is simple: to give something back to cricket. That could mean helping junior players travel to matches, supporting families facing financial barriers, or contributing to medical research within the game.

Lisa and Paul are now asking for guidance, encouraging anyone with ideas to contact the JB33 Foundation through Instagram.

“It means everything to us,” Lisa says. “We want to start shouting about what we’re doing.”

Feeling closer to Josh in Australia

A young Josh Baker bowls on the concourses beside the stands at a Test match

Before returning home, the Bakers will complete their Ashes journey in Sydney. As they have done throughout the series, they will wear their JB33 T-shirts on day one of the Test.

“It hurts like hell,” Lisa admits. “His face is on the back. But it’s also beautiful.”

Sydney carries its own weight of memory. It was there that Josh bowled during the 2011 Ashes Test, and where he spent his final winter playing cricket months before his death.

“He wasn’t a big Christmas person,” Lisa says softly. “He’d have been out here playing cricket, without doubt.”

Music, too, brings Josh back to them. Certain songs still stop Lisa in her tracks.

“He loved his life. He loved music. He was always singing.”

And so, under the Australian sun, with cricket once again framing their days, the Bakers find a strange, fragile comfort.

“Coming to Australia is very special to us now,” Lisa says. “At Christmas, we feel closer to him out here than we would at home.”