TOM Banton, Somerset’s highly talented and versatile batter who also keeps wicket in T20 cricket, has signed an extention to his contract which will see him remaining with the club until at least the end of the 2026 season.

The 25-year-old former King’s College, Taunton, student made his T20 debut for the club while he was still on the Academy since when he has gone onto appear in 134 matches for the county in all forms of the game, scoring more than 4,800 runs.

He captained England Under 19s and made his debut for the England T20 side against New Zealand in 2019 in Nelson. Tom has also played in five ODI matches and has featured regularly in T20 franchise competitions across the world.

Tom has enjoyed his best season to date for Somerset and before his untimely injury ahead the Surrey championship match he’d scored 891 runs, at an average of 49.50 with a best of 133. In the Vitality Blast Tom played 14 matches and scored 515 runs at an average pf 46.82.

After committing his future to the club, Tom said: “I love Somerset and this is where I want to play my cricket. There’s a great atmosphere around the place and we’re regularly competing for silverware in all formats of the game.

“It’s a really exciting time for the club. We’ve got a great blend of experienced pros and exciting young players, and there’s genuine competition for places from one to 11.

“One of the things that makes Somerset so special is the incredible support that we get whenever we play. It doesn’t matter if it’s white-ball or red-ball, the support we get, especially when we play at home, is amazing and I absolutely love playing in front of such a passionate crowd. The Surrey Championship game just summed that up. I’ve never experienced anything quite like that and I’ll remember it forever.”

Somerset director of cricket, Andy Hurry added: “Tom is one of the most naturally gifted players in the game and he is also one of the hardest working. Everyone sees what he does on the field, but what people aren’t necessarily aware of is how dedicated he is to getting better every single time he walks through those gates.

“His dedication and passion for the club were demonstrated in the recent Championship fixture against Surrey, when he overcame the pain of a serious injury to take to the field.”