Tom Banton could make his return to Somerset in their T20 Blast season opener against Surrey at the County Ground tomorrow evening. The 26-year-old batsman was named in England’s squad for the ongoing One-day international series against the West Indies, starting today at Edgbaston, but was surprisingly left out of the playing XI.
England’s side features new captain Harry Brook, with Jamie Smith opening the batting. Smith, who impressed with both bat and gloves at Test level, moves up to number three in England’s order after a challenging stint at the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Despite limited experience in the top three at 50-over level, Smith has been given a strong vote of confidence from the coaching staff and captain, with hopes he can set a solid tempo alongside Ben Duckett.
Brook expressed enthusiasm about Smith’s potential, saying, “Baz (Brendon McCullum) and I have a real desire for Smudge (Smith) to become an exceptional white-ball opener. He’s an immense player who can handle moving deliveries and also play aggressively.”
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Joe Root returns to the number three spot with Brook himself batting at four. Jos Buttler, along with all-rounders Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks—recently recalled from the Indian Premier League—complete the middle order. Although Buttler’s recent ODI form has been modest, bringing an average of 27.5 in his last 25 matches, Brook remains confident, calling Buttler the world’s best white-ball batter when in form.
On the bowling front, the team will lean on spinner Adil Rashid, supported by pace bowlers Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, and Saqib Mahmood, as England strive to halt a seven-match losing streak in ODIs, their worst since 2000-01. Currently sitting eighth in the world rankings, England face pressure to climb higher to avoid the qualifier stage for the 2027 World Cup.
Brook emphasized the importance of player availability and managing workloads: “We want to keep our best players on the field as much as possible. There’s a lot of cricket ahead, and we need to help players with their scheduling. Every series counts, and we’re focused on taking it one game at a time to secure victories.”
Meanwhile, Somerset have extended Ben Green’s red-ball loan at Leicestershire, allowing him to continue gaining first-class experience while remaining available for Somerset’s T20 Blast matches. Additionally, Kasey Aldridge will join Durham on a one-month loan, giving him more first-team opportunities. Somerset’s director of cricket Andy Hurry highlighted the benefits of these loan arrangements for player development and match readiness.