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England's preparations for a hot, dry T20 World Cup in the subcontinent in February led them on midweek to a chilly, rainy Auckland, where they were compelled to conduct the last practice run ahead of their third game against the Kiwis inside. It is not always obvious what role these two-team contests fulfill, what valuable insights could possibly be gained – but on this instance, for at least a squad member, that is not an issue.

Tom Banton's New Role: From Opener to Lower Down

Tom Banton says he is “still learning now”, and if it is the kind of line often repeated even by athletes who have already reached the peak of their game, in his case it is undeniably true. After forging his reputation as a top-order batter, primarily as an starting player, Banton now occupies a completely unfamiliar position, batting at the middle order. “I didn't have too many conversations,” he said. “I just got brought me back into the team and told, ‘Your role will be in the lower batting lineup now.’”

Prior to returning in the summer, the vast majority of Banton’s over 160 senior T20 innings had been as an opener, a further portion 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 keep him in this altered role 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 much tougher than opening.”

Varied Performances in the Tour

Banton said that “there’s going to be times where it comes off and it looks great and on other occasions where it doesn’t”, and the initial matches of the winter in the host nation have featured both outcomes. In the opener, he lasted a few deliveries and scored a low score before getting out to the deep fielder; in the next game, he played 12 deliveries, hit runs, and ended the innings unbeaten.

Thoughts on Comeback and Development

The current series has seen Banton return 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 more than three years in the wilderness before coming back for Harry Brook’s initial match as England captain. “On the flight over, it was strange,” he said. “Time has passed when I started internationally. Seems a lot has occurred in that period. I've discovered a lot about me. The few years after I was left out from England was a difficult phase for me. I had a two- to three-year period where I was working myself out.”

Support from Coaching Staff

Currently, he has been given a fresh challenge to work out. Banton is grateful to have been given another chance, and also for Brendon McCullum’s skill to put him at ease while he works out how best to grasp it. “Baz approached me before [the recent game] and said, ‘Go out and express yourself.’ It’s nice to have that freedom,” Banton said. “I realize it’s only a small thing from the staff, but it provides the backing that if it doesn't work, it’s not a disaster. It is so small but for me it’s, ‘OK, I’ve got the backing from the head coach and I can go out and do it.’”

Shift in Location and Squad Decisions

Following the initial matches of the contest at the South Island ground, a stadium with expansive playing area, England complete it on the next day at the Auckland arena, a multi-use sports facility where the straight boundary at a short distance is among the most compact in the world. With uncertain weather and an unfamiliar venue they have abandoned their usual practice of announcing their team two days in advance while they work out if their ideal XI for this match will be the same as the side that started the earlier fixtures.

Squad Adjustments for One-Day Matches

Next, they travel to the coastal town and turn focus to ODIs, with a slightly amended squad: three players drop out, while Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jamie Smith come in. Most newcomers arrived in Auckland on the same day but the scheduling of the bowler's Ashes preparations means he will arrive later, travelling with Mark Wood and Josh Tongue, fast bowlers who are also preparing for the longer format in Australia but are excluded from the white-ball squad. As a result Archer will be absent for the opening game at Bay Oval, the stadium where he was subjected to abuse on his sole prior visit, in 2019.