Tom Banton: England T20 batsman hopes to earn Test call-up
- Published
Tom Banton hit 18 runs from 10 deliveries on his Twenty20 International debut for England against New Zealand in Nelson
England's tour of New Zealand |
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England Twenty20 batsman Tom Banton says he hopes to earn a place in the Test squad.
Banton, 20, earned his first call-up to the England T20 squad for the winter tour of New Zealand after impressing with the white ball for Somerset.
He made his debut in the third T20 and retained his place as England squared the five-match series on Friday.
"At the start of the year I didn't know what I preferred and I just did better in white-ball cricket," said Banton.
Speaking to BBC Test Match Special, Banton added: "I still definitely want to play Test cricket for England."
Banton was one of four new faces in the England T20 squad after averaging more than 40 in limited overs cricket for Somerset last summer.
He hit Tim Southee for four, while facing just his third delivery in international cricket, before going on to score 18 runs from 10 balls in the third T20 international on Tuesday.
"The morning of the game, I was a bit nervous," he said. "Once I was fielding it was a bit more normal and when I was batting it was just like a game I was playing for Somerset.
"To get that early boundary was what I was dreaming of to begin with, so that was nice."
After the New Zealand tour, Banton will play further white-ball cricket in the Abu Dhabi T10 League and the Australian Big Bash.
However, he still plans to work on his red-ball technique before the English summer.
"Opening the batting in red-ball cricket is the hardest part of the game," he said. "I'm always looking to improve. I've only played 12 Championship games.
"Game by game, you find out what you need to improve. And when I'm back after this winter I will know what to work on."
The final match of England's T20 series against New Zealand takes place in Auckland on Sunday at 01:00 GMT. Their two-Test series against the Black Caps begins on 21 November in Mount Maunganui.