Jacques Banton earns rookie contract with Worcestershire

The 19-year-old, whose brother Tom plays for Somerset and England, has made three second XI Championship appearances in 2021 and regularly represents the second XI in T20s

Allrounder Jacques Banton (second right) has signed a rookie contract with Worcestershire for the remainder of the season.

The 19-year-old, whose brother Tom plays for Somerset and England, was part of the academy intake for 2018-19 after switching from Warwickshire.

Banton, a former pupil at King’s School, Taunton, has played three second XI Championship matches in 2021 and regularly represents the second XI in T20s.

Confirming the signing, head coach, Alex Gidman, said: "Jacques Banton will be joining us for the rest of the summer on a rookie contract.

"He is a genuine allrounder. He strikes the ball cleanly and has got quite a lot of nous about how he plays the game with both bat and ball.

"We are looking at bringing him on board to get him around the group, and it gives us another potential player for selection if needed.

"He has the same skill set as his brother Tom in being a powerful batsman, and they are both allrounders but just in different ways."

Meanwhile, Banton said: "When I got the call [from Alex Gidman] to tell me, I felt emotional. [The contract] is something I’ve always dreamed of.

"It will be great to be involved with the lads. I was doing 12th man duties for the Blast game against Lancashire and was involved in all the warm-ups, and it was brilliant.

"To go from club cricket to this is amazing, and I want to make the most of the opportunity I’ve been given. I’ve really enjoyed batting in the top three and bowling all my overs for the seconds in T20 this summer."

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