Somerset County Cricket Club have announced wicketkeeper/batter Tom Banton has signed a contract extension.

The 25-year-old will remain at the Cooper Associates County Ground until at least the end of the 2026 season.

The former King’s College student made his Somerset debut in July 2017 in the T20 clash with Middlesex at Uxbridge before signing his first professional contract after graduating from the Somerset Academy at the end of that year.

His List A and First Class debuts came during the following summer.
In total, Tom has played 134 matches for the County across all formats, scoring more than 4800 runs.

Following his consistently impressive domestic performances, the former England Under 19 Captain was rewarded with his full International T20 debut against New Zealand at Nelson in November 2019. To date, he has represented his country in 14 IT20s, scoring 327 runs at a strike rate of 147.96.

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His ODI debut came in February 2020 at Cape Town, and he has played a further five matches in the format for his country.

A highly regarded white-ball player, Tom has featured regularly in the IPL, BBL and PSL.

After committing his future to the Club, Tom said: “I love the Club and this where I want to play my cricket. There’s a great atmosphere around the place and we’re regularly competing for silverware in all formats of the game.

“It’s a really exciting time for the Club. We’ve got a great blend of experienced pros and exciting young players, and there’s genuine competition for places from one to 11.

“One of the things that makes Somerset so special is the incredible support that we get whenever we play. It doesn’t matter if it’s white-ball or red-ball, the support we get, especially when we play at home, is amazing and I absolutely love playing in front of such a passionate crowd. The Surrey Championship game just summed that up. I’ve never experienced anything quite like that and I’ll remember it forever.”

Somerset director of cricket, Andy Hurry added: “Tom is one of the most naturally gifted players in the game and he is also one of the hardest working. Everyone sees what he does on the field, but what people aren’t necessarily aware of is how dedicated he is to getting better every single time he walks through those gates.

“His dedication and passion for the Club were demonstrated in the recent Championship fixture against Surrey, when he overcame the pain of a serious injury to take to the field and put the needs of the team ahead of his own fitness.

“It goes without saying that we are absolutely delighted to have secured the services of such a talented player. It’s a real statement of intent for Somerset County Cricket Club.”