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England's training sessions for a hot, dry T20 World Cup in India in the coming month led them on midweek to a cool, drizzly New Zealand's largest city, where they were compelled to hold the last training session ahead of their third game against New Zealand indoors. The purpose isn't always clear what purpose these bilateral series fulfill, what valuable insights could possibly be gained – but on this occasion, for at least a squad member, that is no concern.

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

The cricketer says he is “still learning now”, and if it is the type of statement often repeated even by players who have already reached the peak of their sport, in his case it is certainly accurate. After building his name as a frontline hitter, primarily as an starting player, Banton suddenly finds himself a completely unfamiliar position, batting at the middle order. “There weren’t really too many discussions,” he said. “I just got brought me back into the squad and told, ‘You’re going to bat in the lower batting lineup now.’”

Prior to returning in the summer, 87% of Banton’s over 160 senior T20 innings had been as an opener, another 8% at third position and the remaining handful – but for seven balls at seventh spot in a domestic T20 game previously – at fourth place. If the team plan to retain him in this new position he requires every chance to get used to it, and he has figured out a key point: “Playing down the order,” he surmised, “is a lot harder than starting the innings.”

Varied Performances in New Zealand

Banton said that “sometimes where it comes off and it looks great and on other occasions where it fails”, and the first two games of the winter in New Zealand have featured both outcomes. In the first, he lasted nine balls and made a low score before holing out to the deep fielder; in the second, he played a dozen balls, scored 29, and ended the innings unbeaten.

Reflections on Return and Development

This tour has seen Banton come back to the country in which he first played for his country in late 2019. After that, he moved away of the side, had a short comeback in 2022 and then spent a long period in the sidelines before returning for Harry Brook’s initial match as skipper. “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 learned a lot about myself. The few years after I was left out from the national team was a tough time for me. I had a two- to three-year period where I was working myself out.”

Backing from Team Management

And now, he has been given a fresh challenge to tackle. Banton is grateful to have been offered a return, and also for the coach's skill to make him comfortable while he figures out how best to grasp it. “The coach approached me before [Monday’s second T20] and said, ‘Head out and play your natural game.’ It's reassuring to have that freedom,” Banton said. “I realize it’s just a brief comment from the staff, but it gives me the backing that if it doesn't work, it’s not a disaster. It’s something so minor but for me it’s, ‘Alright, I’ve got the backing from the manager and I can step up and do it.’”

Shift in Location and Squad Decisions

Following the initial matches of the contest at Christchurch’s Hagley Park, a stadium with expansive playing area, England complete it on the next day at Eden Park, a dual-purpose sports facility where the field edge at 55m is among the most compact in the sport. With changeable conditions and an new location they have dropped their recent habit of announcing their team ahead of time while they work out if their preferred team for this match will be the identical as the side that started both previous games.

Upcoming Changes for One-Day Matches

On Friday, they move to the coastal town and shift attention to one-day internationals, with a somewhat changed team: three players are omitted, while four others join the squad. Three of those players landed in Auckland on the same day but the scheduling of the bowler's Ashes preparations implies he will follow later, travelling with two fellow bowlers, two seamers who are also preparing for the longer format in the away series but are excluded from the limited-overs team. Consequently he will miss the opening game at Bay Oval, the ground where he was racially abused on his only previous appearance, in 2019.