T20 Blast: Tom Banton’s 54-run innings against Hampshire included an unbelievable shot.
During the T20 Blast encounter between Hampshire and Somerset, English batsman Tom Banton blasted an incredible six to attain his fifty-run milestone. It took Banton’s fast hands and a length ball on off-stump in the 12th over for Somerset to reverse sweep Nathan Ellis for six behind the point in their pursuit of 209. The shot marked his half-century mark. “That is a way to reach your half-century,” the official T20 Blast Twitter account tweeted after seeing the video of Banton’s shot.
Tom Banton celebrates his 50th birthday in style.
Chris Wood, with 54 from 38 deliveries, got the better of Banton in the next over.
Both Rilee Rossouw and Somerset’s half-centuries went in vain, as Somerset’s total fell 14 runs short of Hampshire’s total.
As a result of James Vince’s magnificent 62-ball century, Hampshire ended up with a total of 208/5. It was his fourth century in Twenty20.
English U-19 World Cup star Tom Prest, who scored 62 points off 46 shots, helped him out.
Somerset’s chase got off to a fast start thanks to openers Will Smeed and Banton, the former of whom scored 43 off 27 deliveries.
It was Rossouw’s turn to step up the pace after Smeed was knocked out. However, the fall of Banton set off a chain reaction.
The captain, Tom Abell, scored 13 runs, but the rest of the order was bowled out for single digits, including Rossouw, who fell in the penultimate over.
Their final total was 194/9.
Hampshire’s Chris Wood and Liam Dawson each took two wickets for the county.
