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The English side's training sessions for a warm, arid T20 World Cup in the subcontinent in February brought them on Wednesday to a cool, drizzly Auckland, where they were compelled to conduct the last practice run before their next match against the Kiwis inside. The purpose isn't always clear what purpose 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 Changed Position: Starting Batsman to Lower Down

The cricketer says he is “continuing to develop”, and if it is the type of statement regularly trotted out even by athletes who have already reached the pinnacle of their sport, in his case it is certainly accurate. After forging his reputation as a top-order batter, primarily as an starting player, Banton suddenly finds himself a totally new position, batting at five or six. “I didn't have too many discussions,” he said. “They simply brought me back into the team and told, ‘You’re going to bat in the middle order now.’”

Prior to returning in the summer, the vast majority of Banton’s over 160 professional T20 appearances had been as an opener, a further portion at No3 and the rest – but for a brief stint at seventh spot in a domestic T20 game previously – at No 4. If the team intend to keep him in this new position he needs every chance to become accustomed to it, and he has figured out one thing: “Playing down the order,” he concluded, “is a much tougher than opening.”

Varied Performances in New Zealand

Banton said that “sometimes where it comes off and it appears brilliant and on other occasions where it fails”, and the first two games of the tour in New Zealand have featured both outcomes. In the opener, he lasted a few deliveries and scored a low score before getting out to long-on; in the next game, he played 12 deliveries, scored 29, and finished unbeaten.

Thoughts on Comeback and Growth

The current series has seen Banton return to the nation in which he made his international debut in late 2019. After that, he moved away of the side, had a short comeback in recently 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 weird,” he said. “It was six years ago when I made my debut. Seems a lot has happened in that time. I've discovered a lot about myself. The few years after I was left out from England 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 assigned a fresh challenge to work out. Banton is thankful to have been given another chance, and also for the coach's skill to make him comfortable while he figures out how best to seize the opportunity. “The coach approached me before [the recent game] and said, ‘Head out and express yourself.’ It's reassuring to have that liberty,” Banton said. “I know it’s only a small thing someone says, but it gives me the support that if it doesn't work, it’s not a disaster. It’s something so small but for me it’s, ‘Alright, I’ve got the approval from the head coach and I can step up and perform.’”

Shift in Location and Team Selection

After playing the first two games of the contest at the South Island ground, a stadium with expansive playing area, the visitors complete it on Thursday at the Auckland arena, a dual-purpose sports facility where the straight boundary at a short distance is among the shortest in the world. With uncertain weather and an unfamiliar venue they have dropped their recent habit of revealing their lineup two days in advance while they determine if their ideal XI for this match will be the same as the side that started both previous games.

Squad Adjustments for ODI Series

On Friday, they move to Mount Maunganui and shift attention to ODIs, with a slightly amended squad: three players drop out, while four others join the squad. Three of those players landed in the city on the same day but the timing of Archer’s Ashes preparations implies he will follow later, flying with two fellow bowlers, two seamers who are also preparing for the longer format in Australia but are excluded from the white-ball squad. As a result he will be absent for the first match at the venue, the stadium where he was subjected to abuse on his only previous appearance, in 2019.