Tom Banton has been in supreme touch in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL). The swashbuckling England batsman was playing for the Brisbane Heat in Australia’s premier T20 competition and took the league by a storm with a thunderous knock against Sydney Thunder on Monday.
Banton was in his element as he took the opposition to the cleaners in a game, which was reduced to an 8-overs per side due to rain.
Brisbane Heat got off to a flyer after opting to bat first as openers Banton, and Chris Lynn went all guns blazing against the Thunder bowlers.
Banton scored 56 runs off just 19 balls and also recorded the second-fastest fifty in the BBL history en-route his knock. He completed his half-century in only 16 balls with the help of five consecutive sixes off Arjun Nair in the 4th over of Heat’s innings. Heat finished on 119-4 in eight overs, a run rate of 14.87 runs per over.
Only three times before has a team scored as quickly in the first innings of a T20 game, and only once has such a high run rate been achieved in the BBL, when Max Bryant and Ben Cutting knocked off Melbourne Stars’ target of 157 in exactly ten overs.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Tom Banton easing into things for this shortened match! #BBL09 pic.twitter.com/ecz3WYk4s8
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 6, 2020
Tom Banton's 16-ball half-century is the second-quickest recorded in Big Bash history.
After this man… pic.twitter.com/Mu38EUhvOu
— bet365 AUS (@bet365_aus) January 6, 2020
TOM BANTON 🤯 @7Cricket #BBL09 pic.twitter.com/dpI13Z7ubW
— Trent Copeland (@copes9) January 6, 2020
Tom Banton going absolutely berserk for @HeatBBL this morning! 👊
5️⃣6️⃣ from 1️⃣9️⃣ balls! 🔥
5️⃣ sixes in an over! 🔥
2️⃣nd fastest ever @BBL fifty! 🔥
Most team runs after 5️⃣ overs of any major T20! 🔥#WeAreSomerset#BringTheHeat #BBL #BBL09@TBanton18 pic.twitter.com/5iJlQ3Z4IX— Somerset Cricket 🏆 (@SomersetCCC) January 6, 2020
Tom Banton has hit a 16-ball half-century in the Big Bash 🤯
Will we see him in action in the #T20WorldCup for England?pic.twitter.com/dqvVTRGwbn
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) January 6, 2020
Incredible! 5️⃣ sixes one a row for Tom Banton. Absolutely clubbing it! #BBL09
— Michael Randall (@MickRandallHS) January 6, 2020
Extraordinary hitting from Tom Branton #BBL09 pic.twitter.com/Uci0GrSpFY
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 6, 2020
Fifty in 16 balls. This Tom Banton knows how to strike the ball. #BBL09
— Rick Eyre on cricket (@rickeyrecricket) January 6, 2020
Tom Banton departs after smashing 16-ball fifty. #BBL09 pic.twitter.com/4vzoWo01le
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) January 6, 2020
He really hit five-straight sixes…
Tom Banton came out swinging 😤#BBL09 | @HeatBBL pic.twitter.com/yPqW0JSvxj
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 6, 2020
Tom Banton – The Worlds Number 1 Eight Over Cricketer.#BBL09 #BANTONBANTER
— Neds (@NedsAus) January 6, 2020
16 balls 55 runs for Tom Banton. 🔥 5 sixes in a row in a single over. KKR should open with him in IPL.#BBL09 pic.twitter.com/MUjHiJ4ih2
— Awarapan 🇮🇳 (@KingSlayer_Rule) January 6, 2020