Somerset’s opening batsman Tom Banton has been added to the England squad for the third and last ODI against Sri Lanka. Just a few hours leading up to the second ODI, the England and Wales Cricket Board made the announcement.
The ECB made his inclusion known with a tweet on their social media account. The 22-year-old will be returning after a one-year hiatus from the national squad.
Tom Banton has been added to our ODI squad for the 3rd Royal London ODI with Sri Lanka 🏏
🏴 #ENGvSL 🇱🇰 pic.twitter.com/eHj7GpFPDT
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 1, 2021
Tom Banton has been wreaking havoc in the T20 Blast. In seven games he has been part of for the Somerset side, Banton has scored 236 runs at an astounding strike-rate of 195.04. The most recent knock of his which made the headline was a scintillating 47-ball century against Kent. Partnered alongside Devon Conway, the right-handed batsman lit up the stadium with 107 off 51 balls which propelled Somerset to a 10-wicket victory.
England’s top-order shuffles
The white-ball series was supposed to be part of England’s preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup. However, they’ve been chopping and changing the team with every match. Buttler’s omission however, was forced due to an injury he suffered in the first T20I against the Lankans.
Four English batsmen have already been tried at the top of the order. Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone have all had their chances at the top. Until each one of them is available for selection, its hard to determine who will be England’s opening pair at the World Cup.
The latest addition Tom Banton will also be tried if the need arises. Although his participation isn’t guaranteed, he’ll be watching the second ODI closely – Malan and Livingstone in particular. A failure for either of these two might see Banton make an appearance in the third ODI which is set to take place at Bristol on July 4.
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