Watch: Tom Banton came out to bat on an injured ankle for Somerset in their title-rival clash against Surrey, hobbling out at No.11 before smashing a run-a-ball 28 to end the day unbeaten.
Banton had injured his ankle in the warm-ups before play in Day Three, having scored a hundred on the first day of the match. He was seen on crutches later in the day and it was reported by Somerset that he would undergo an MRI scan tomorrow to determine the extent of the damage. Kasey Aldridge was promoted to No.5 in his absence, as Somerset desperately tried to extend their lead against title-rivals Surrey.
By the time Somerset were nine down, thanks mostly to four wickets from Shakib Al Hasan, that lead was only 149. In order to give Somerset maximum runs to play with in the fourth innings, Banton decided to come out at No.11.
Keep going Bants!#SOMvSUR #WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/RQQe6Uzu6B
— Somerset Cricket (@SomersetCCC) September 11, 2024
He was clearly struggling and in some pain as he leant heavily on his bat while walking out to the middle, which it took him a significant amount of time to do. When he faced up to Tom Curran for his first delivery, he played the first ball out to cover with no foot movement at all, clearly unwilling to put any stress on his injured ankle. While a runner was allowed on to the field given Banton's impairment, play was significantly held up whenever Banton had to hobble from the practice pitch to the striker's end.
Despite the obvious discomfort he was in, Banton was still able to hit three fours during his innings, including a back foot pull off Curran. He finished the day unbeaten on 28 off 28 balls, with Somerset's lead at 190 runs.
Watch: Banton hobbles to the crease despite injured ankle
Tom Banton rolled his ankle in the warm-up before day three of Somerset's County Championship title clash with Surrey.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 11, 2024
Tomorrow he will go for an MRI, but today, with his team desperate to stretch their lead, he limped to the middle at No.11. Hero.pic.twitter.com/u6h9CSupnH
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