Tom Banton Signs Somerset Extension Limiting Him to White-Ball Cricket
Tom Banton extends his Somerset contract until 2028 but will play only white-ball cricket to manage workload.
Tom Banton's signed a new Somerset deal running to 2028 — but there's a catch. White-ball cricket only. No red-ball.
The restriction lets him chase T20 and limited-overs opportunities, IPL included with Gujarat Titans, without the grind of four-day cricket wearing him down. Counties have started doing this in recent seasons, carving out space for players juggling multiple schedules and formats.
CricHubb Take
White-ball-only deals are becoming the safety valve for young talent trying to stay sharp in T20 while still anchored to a county. The question is whether workload management via subtraction becomes the default — and whether counties end up with fewer genuinely two-format players five years from now.