TO paraphrase David Brent, Tom Banton is refreshingly laid back for a man with such responsibility.

Opening the batting in a Lord’s final aged 20 might be a daunting experience for some, but Somerset’s young wicketkeeper-batsman is looking to take it all in his stride.

He certainly arrives looking in decent nick. Banton made 112 and 59 in Somerset’s knockout stage victories before smashing half centuries in 19 and 12 balls, respectively, for club side Taunton St Andrew’s last weekend.

Banton was then going well on 67 for the Somerset XI on Tuesday when he retired hurt with a back spasm - but, despite the alarm that caused among the Somerset faithful, he should be good to go for Saturday.

“I feel good - it’s still hurting a bit, but I think I’ll be fine,” Banton said.

“It’s nice to have scored a few recently but I don’t think ‘form’ is a big thing for me.

“I will go out there, watch the ball and try and score - and if it’s my day, then great.

“I try not to overthink it - that doesn’t work for me - and I just try and back myself.”

Having made a couple of starts from down the order in the One-Day Cup in 2018, Banton was trusted with the gloves and the opening berth in place of the experienced Steve Davies from the start of this year’s competition.

The show of faith proved justified as he made a superb century against Kent in the South Group opener, which Banton describes as “one of the best feelings I’ve ever had”.

“When you get a chance in the first team, you just want one score to settle you down and show what you can do,” Banton said.

“To do that in the first game of the competition was brilliant.”

A run of low scores followed but Banton returned to form for the crunch final group game and continued that momentum in the knockout victories at New Road and Trent Bridge.

“The century at Worcester was probably my most important innings,” he said.

“It was a sticky wicket, I never really felt ‘in’, but I managed to stay there and contribute.”

Banton, who has been working closely with Marcus Trescothick during this campaign, has gained notoriety for the range of his shots - he is a player who looks as at home playing a scoop or a reverse sweep as he does a cover drive or a forward defensive.

“A lot of that comes naturally,” Banton said.

“I played a lot of hockey when I was younger, which helps with those kind of shots.”

That is reminiscent of Jos Buttler, a fellow King’s College alumni - Banton having finished his education there from the age of 16 after growing up in the Midlands.

His dismissive whips through mid-wicket to balls on a length outside off stump, meanwhile, have drawn comparisons with Kevin Pietersen - Michael Vaughan recently took to Twitter to describe Banton as “the closest thing to KP since he retired.”

“I have seen people talk about it, but you can’t really pay too much attention to things like that,” Banton said.

“I have watched a lot of Jos in recent years and I love watching him bat, but I just have to carry on playing my own game.”

It is an approach that has worked so far, and Banton is eagerly awaiting further opportunities in red-ball cricket as he looks to become a three-format player.

For now, however, his immediate focus is on his second appearance at Lord’s.

“I played there when I was 15 for an ECB representative side,” he said.

“It will be fantastic to be back there on Saturday and everyone at the club is really excited.

“I don’t think the group stage defeat to Hampshire is particularly relevant.

“We were going through a bad patch and we have picked up since then - and they are going to be without [Liam] Dawson and [James] Vince.

“I have got loads of friends and family going up to watch - I think a lot of my old school friends have got tickets - so I can’t wait.”