Tom Banton thinks he is older, wiser and, quite simply, better these days.
It is coming up to seven years since the England batter first caught the eye as a 19-year-old by hitting a stunning 71 from 37 balls to help Somerset chase 204 against Surrey in the T20 Blast.
If the pure numbers from that day were not enough, one reverse flick for six off Sam Curran – now an England team-mate – made some smart judges take note.
The following winter Banton was picked by England for their tour of New Zealand.
He kept his place the next summer, in Twenty20 and 50-over cricket, picked as the fresh face to help take the 2019 World Cup winners on into a new era.
Banton made 58 against Ireland and 71 in a T20 against Pakistan, but they were his only scores above 50 in 15 matches.
Another five caps came and went in 2022, making this current run the 27-year-old’s third go at international level.
His match-winning 63 not out in England’s five-wicket win against Scotland on Saturday, with his side’s T20 World Cup hopes on the line, may not have been his highest score, but it was his best knock for his country – a breakout innings in which he finally delivered on all of those talents by truly defining a match on the biggest stage.
“I think just a bit, obviously older, more mature, got a better understanding of my game,” Banton said, asked what he is doing differently this time.
“When I came onto the scene, I remember at the start of that summer I was just about scraping into Somerset’s second team.
“Then six months later, I was playing for England and traveling all over the world, which was great, but I’ve got more of an understanding.
“I have kind of, I don’t know, just grown. I’ve learned a lot about myself. Not even anything to do with cricket.”
