Tom Banton has put his first-class career on hold after signing a new limited-overs contract with Somerset, which runs until 2028. Banton's previous deal was due to expire at the end of the season, and he has opted to focus on white-ball cricket after "open and amicable" talks with the club's management.
Banton broke Justin Langer's record for the highest first-class score in Somerset's history when he made 371 against Worcestershire in his first innings of the 2025 season, and was briefly tipped as a future Test player. But his next 16 innings brought him a single half-century, and he has not featured in the County Championship this season due to injury, IPL and England duty.
He opted out of Somerset's last two matchday squads and announced on Thursday that his new contract would see him "focusing on white-ball cricket" without "closing the door permanently on four-day cricket". Banton has become a regular in England's T20I set-up in the last year and has also featured in several recent ODI squads.
"I'm delighted to have extended my stay with Somerset although this has been a really difficult decision because red-ball cricket has played a huge part in helping me develop my game, and some of my best memories have come in the County Championship," Banton said.
"The win over Surrey at home a few years ago [in late 2024] was so enjoyable, and achieving the club's highest first-class score is something I'm really proud of.
"I know how much the County Championship means to our members and supporters and I'm not closing the door permanently on four-day cricket. My decision has come after a lot of open and amicable discussions with Andy Hurry [director of cricket] and Jason Kerr [head coach] over a considerable period of time.
"Given the demands and challenges of playing in and moving between all formats, I believe that focusing on white-ball cricket is the right approach for me at this stage of my career."
Hurry said: "We respect Tom's decision to concentrate on maximising his white-ball development and we very much look forward to him continuing to be an integral part of our limited-overs success moving forward."
Banton has scored 199 runs in six T20 Blast innings this year with Somerset, the defending champions, languishing in fifth place in the Central and West Group and facing an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages.