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The English side's training sessions for a warm, arid T20 World Cup in India in the coming month led them on Wednesday to a cool, drizzly Auckland, where they were compelled to hold the final training session before their third game against New Zealand indoors. The purpose isn't always clear what purpose these bilateral series serve, what useful lessons could possibly be learned – but on this occasion, for at least a squad member, that is no concern.

Tom Banton's New Role: From Opener to Middle Order

The cricketer says he is “continuing to develop”, and if it is the type of statement regularly trotted out even by players 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, coming in at five or six. “I didn't have too many conversations,” he said. “I just got brought me back into the squad and told, ‘Your role will be in the middle order now.’”

Prior to returning in the summer, 87% of Banton’s over 160 senior T20 innings had been as an opener, a further portion at No3 and the rest – 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 new position he needs every possible opportunity to get used to it, and he has already worked out one thing: “Playing down the order,” he concluded, “is a lot harder than opening.”

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 first two games of the tour in the host nation have featured one of each. In the first, he faced nine balls and made nine runs before getting out to the deep fielder; in the second, he played 12 deliveries, hit runs, and ended the innings unbeaten.

Reflections on Return and Growth

This tour has witnessed Banton come back to the country in which he first played for his country in November 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 coming back for the new captain's first T20 as skipper. “On the flight over, it was strange,” he said. “Time has passed when I made my debut. Seems a lot has occurred in that period. I've discovered a lot about myself. The period after I got dropped from the national team was a tough time for me. I had a two- to three-year period where I was finding my way.”

Backing from Coaching Staff

Currently, he has been given something new to work out. Banton is grateful to have been offered a return, and also for Brendon McCullum’s ability to put him at ease while he figures out how best to seize the opportunity. “Baz approached me before [the recent game] and said, ‘Go out and play your natural game.’ It's reassuring to have that liberty,” Banton said. “I realize it’s only a small thing someone says, but it provides the support that if it doesn't work, it’s not the end of the world. It is so minor but for me it’s, ‘OK, I’ve got the backing from the manager and I can step up and perform.’”

Shift in Location and Squad Decisions

Following the first two games of the contest at the South Island ground, a venue with expansive playing area, the visitors complete it on Thursday at Eden Park, a dual-purpose rugby and cricket ground where the field edge at 55m is among the shortest in the world. With uncertain weather and an unfamiliar venue they have abandoned their usual practice of announcing their team ahead of time while they determine if their preferred team here will be the same as the side that began both previous games.

Upcoming Changes for One-Day Matches

On Friday, they move to the coastal town and turn focus to ODIs, with a somewhat changed squad: Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley and Phil Salt drop out, while Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jamie Smith join the squad. Three of those players landed in Auckland on Wednesday but the timing of Archer’s Test match buildup implies he will arrive later, travelling with two fellow bowlers, two seamers who are also preparing for the longer format in Australia but are excluded from the white-ball squad. Consequently he will miss the first match at Bay Oval, the ground where he was subjected to abuse on his sole prior visit, in a few years back.