🔗 Share this article

The English side's training sessions for a warm, arid T20 World Cup in the subcontinent in the coming month brought them on midweek to a cool, drizzly Auckland, where they were compelled to conduct the last practice run ahead of their third game against New Zealand inside. The purpose isn't always clear what role these bilateral series fulfill, what valuable insights could possibly be gained – but on this instance, for at least a squad member, that is not an issue.

The Batter's Changed Position: Starting Batsman to Middle Order

Tom Banton says he is “continuing to develop”, and if it is the type of statement regularly trotted out even by athletes who have already reached the pinnacle of their sport, in his situation it is certainly accurate. After forging his reputation as a top-order batter, mostly as an opener, Banton suddenly finds himself a totally new role, batting at five or six. “There weren’t really too many discussions,” he said. “I just got brought me back into the squad and told, ‘Your role will be in the lower batting lineup now.’”

Prior to returning in June, 87% of Banton’s over 160 professional T20 appearances had been as an starting batsman, another 8% at third position and the rest – but for seven balls at seventh spot in a domestic T20 game previously – at No 4. If England intend to retain him in this new position he requires every possible opportunity to become accustomed to it, and he has figured out a key point: “Playing down the order,” he surmised, “is a much tougher than starting the innings.”

Mixed Results in New Zealand

The player noted that “sometimes where it comes off and it looks great and on other occasions where it fails”, and the initial matches of the tour in the host nation have featured one of each. In the first, he lasted a few deliveries and made nine runs before getting out to long-on; in the second, he played a dozen balls, scored 29, and finished not out.

Thoughts on Return and Growth

This tour has witnessed Banton return to the nation in which he first played for his country in late 2019. After that, he drifted back out of the side, made a brief return in 2022 and then passed more than three years in the sidelines before coming back for the new captain's first T20 as skipper. “During the journey, it was weird,” he said. “Time has passed when I made my debut. It feels like a lot has happened in that period. I've discovered a lot about me. The period after I was left out from England was a tough time for me. I had a two- to three-year period where I was finding my way.”

Backing from Team Management

And now, he has been given something new to work out. Banton is thankful to have been offered a return, and also for Brendon McCullum’s ability to make him comfortable while he works out how best to seize the opportunity. “The coach came up to me before [Monday’s second T20] and said, ‘Go out and express yourself.’ It's reassuring to have that liberty,” Banton said. “I realize it’s just a brief comment someone says, but it gives me the support that if it doesn’t come off, it’s not the end of the world. It is so minor but for me it’s, ‘Alright, I’ve got the backing from the manager and I can go out and perform.’”

Venue Change and Team Selection

After playing the first two games of the contest at Christchurch’s Hagley Park, a venue with expansive playing area, England finish the series on Thursday at Eden Park, a multi-use sports facility where the field edge at 55m is among the shortest in the sport. With changeable conditions and an new location they have abandoned their recent habit of announcing their lineup two days in advance while they work out if their preferred team for this match will be the identical as the one that started both previous games.

Upcoming Changes for ODI Series

Next, they travel to Mount Maunganui and shift attention to ODIs, with a slightly amended squad: three players drop out, while four others come in. Three of those players landed in the city on Wednesday but the timing of Archer’s Ashes preparations implies he will arrive later, flying with two fellow bowlers, two seamers who are also building towards the longer format in the away series but are excluded from the limited-overs team. As a result Archer will be absent for the opening game at the venue, the stadium where he was subjected to abuse on his sole prior visit, in 2019.