The English Team Postpone Team Announcement for Upcoming T20 Fixture as Conditions Force Inside Training

England's preparations for a warm, arid T20 World Cup in India in February brought them on Wednesday to a cool, drizzly New Zealand's largest city, where they were compelled to conduct the last practice run before their third game against the Kiwis inside. It is not always obvious what role these bilateral series serve, what valuable insights could possibly be gained – but on this occasion, for at least a squad member, that is not an issue.

The Batter's New Role: From Opener to Middle Order

Tom Banton says he is “still learning now”, and if it is the kind of line regularly trotted out even by athletes who have long since scaled the peak of their game, in his situation it is undeniably true. After building his name as a top-order batter, primarily as an starting player, Banton suddenly finds himself a totally new role, batting at the middle order. “There weren’t really too many discussions,” he said. “They simply brought me back into the squad and informed me, ‘You’re going to bat in the lower batting lineup now.’”

Before his recall in the summer, the vast majority of Banton’s 162 senior T20 innings had been as an opener, a further portion at No3 and the remaining handful – but for a brief stint at seventh spot in a T20 Blast game eight years ago – at No 4. If the team plan to keep him in this altered role he needs every possible opportunity to get used to it, and he has figured out a key point: “Playing down the order,” he surmised, “is a much tougher than starting the innings.”

Varied Performances in the Tour

The player noted that “there’s going to be times where it works well and it looks great and other times where it fails”, and the initial matches of the winter in New Zealand have seen both outcomes. In the opener, he faced nine balls and made a low score before holing out to long-on; in the next game, he faced a dozen balls, scored 29, and ended the innings unbeaten.

Thoughts on Comeback and Growth

The current series has seen Banton come back to the nation in which he made his international debut in late 2019. Since then, he moved away of the team, had a short comeback in recently and then passed a long period in the sidelines before returning for Harry Brook’s first T20 as England captain. “On the flight over, it was strange,” he said. “It was six years ago when I made my debut. It feels like a lot has happened in that time. I've discovered a lot about me. The few years after I got dropped from England was a tough time for me. I had a two- to three-year period where I was finding my way.”

Support from Coaching Staff

And now, he has been given a fresh challenge to tackle. Banton is grateful to have been given another chance, and also for Brendon McCullum’s skill to put him at ease while he figures out how best to seize the opportunity. “Baz approached me before [Monday’s second T20] and said, ‘Go out and express yourself.’ It's reassuring to have that freedom,” Banton said. “I know it’s only a small thing someone says, but it gives me the support that if it doesn’t come off, it’s not a disaster. It is so minor but for me it’s, ‘Alright, I’ve got the approval from the manager and I can go out and perform.’”

Venue Change and Squad Decisions

Following the initial matches of the contest at the South Island ground, a venue with unusually long boundaries, England complete it on Thursday at the Auckland arena, a multi-use rugby and cricket ground where the field edge at a short distance is among the shortest in the sport. With changeable conditions and an unfamiliar venue they have dropped their recent habit of announcing their lineup two days in advance while they determine if their preferred team here will be the identical as the side that began the earlier fixtures.

Squad Adjustments for ODI Series

On Friday, they travel to the coastal town and turn focus to ODIs, with a slightly amended squad: Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley and Phil Salt drop out, while Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jamie Smith come in. Three of those players landed in Auckland on the same day but the timing of Archer’s Ashes preparations means he will follow two days later, travelling with two fellow bowlers, two seamers who are also preparing for the longer format in the away series but are not in the limited-overs team. As a result he will be absent for the first match at Bay Oval, the ground where he was subjected to abuse on his only previous appearance, in a few years back.