Somerset batter Tom Banton, despite an injury, came in at No. 11 during a critical County Championship match against Surrey in Taunton. After an impressive 132 in the first innings, Banton stepped up to help his team in the second innings when they were struggling at 153-9.
Beginning the innings trailing behind four runs, Somerset lost their way because of four-fer by Shakib Al Hasan. To make matters worse, Banton was unavailable to bat at position No. 5 after rolling his ankle during warm-up ahead of Day 3. He was seen on crutches, and scheduled to undergo an MRI scan on Thursday September 12 to assess the damage.
However, since it was only a marginal lead for Somerset after Jack Leach’s dismissal, Banton joined Craig Overton in the middle. He had a severe limp when he came to bat and leaned on his bat while walking towards the crease. Since he could not use any stress on the injured ankle, his strokes were made without any foot movement.
Regarding running between the wickets, he was given a runner. Banton’s sacrifice has proved vital and he has contributed with an unbeaten run-a-ball score of 28 with four boundaries attached one last wicket-wicket partnership between him and Overton worth 41 runs also stretched their lead to 190 runs more than what it was before.
You can watch the video here:
Tom Banton limps out, what a warrior ❤️
LIVE STREAM ➡️ https://t.co/aRtGCP76ez#SOMvSUR#WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/RykJjjs8k9
— Somerset Cricket (@SomersetCCC) September 11, 2024
With Somerset in second place in the County Championship Division One standings, a victory over league leaders Surrey would make the competition more intriguing, as both teams have only a few matches remaining.
Tom Banton has enjoyed a standout County Championship season
The right-handed batsman, who had previously been in and out of the national squad, is now seriously arguing that he should be included in the transition. After an unimpressive campaign with Trent Rockets during The Hundred tournament 2024, Tom Banton has found his footing again when it comes to scoring runs as red-ball cricket resumed.
Besides his century against Surrey during the first innings, he scored half-centuries against Durham and Northamptonshire. He has so far made a total of 873 runs at an average of 51.35 within this particular County Championship season’s competition making him its 10th highest run scorer.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.