FRESH off picking up his awards as CWC Young Cricketer of the Year and PCA Young Player of the Year, Somerset batsman Tom Banton has been selected in the first round of picks for next year's inaugural 'The Hundred' competition.
There is no West Country-based team in the new tournament, but 20-year-old Banton – who was in mightily impressive form in this year's T20 Blast – has been included as a 'local icon' for Welsh Fire, who will be based in Cardiff.
Banton joins England's World Cup winner Jonny Bairstow and Glamorgan's Colin Ingram in the Welsh Fire squad.
He is the only Somerset CCC player to be selected at this stage, but the remaining places in the 15-man squads will be filled via a full draft on October 20.
While The Hundred has proved greatly divisive among cricket fans – not least in the South West, which is not represented in the city-based competition – one can hardly begrudge Banton, and potentially some of his Somerset team-mates, from taking the opportunity to play in a tournament which is set to feature the likes of Jofra Archer, Babar Azam, Jos Buttler, Chris Gayle, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes and Kane Williamson.
There's also the financial reward, with the main draft grid showing that Banton (who scored 549 runs in the 2019 Blast) is being paid £100,000 - putting him in the second highest payment bracket.
Here is the grid for the main player draft which is in a fortnight. I can try and explain it to you. If you want me to. pic.twitter.com/KD4DmZtt4H
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) October 3, 2019
Several players who helped Taunton-based Western Storm claim a second Kia Super League title this year have also been selected as part of the women's draft, including England captain Heather Knight, Anya Shrubsole and Fran Wilson.
They have, however, been split up for this competition, with Katie George and Bryony Smith being the England women's central contracted picks made by Welsh Fire.
While Welsh Fire's men's team are to be based in Cardiff, their female counterparts are to play in Bristol and Taunton, as reported last month.
The first picks made by each team are as follows:
Birmingham Phoenix
England men's red-ball contract pick: Chris Woakes
Local icons: Moeen Ali, Pat Brown
England women’s central contracted picks: Amy Jones, Kirstie Gordon
London Spirit
England men's pick: Rory Burns
Local icons: Eoin Morgan, Dan Lawrence
England women's picks: Heather Knight, Freya Davies
Manchester Originals
England men's pick: Jos Buttler
Local icons: Saqib Mahmood, Matt Parkinson
England women's picks: Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone
Northern Superchargers
England men's pick: Ben Stokes
Local icons: Adil Rashid, David Willey
England women's picks: Lauren Winfield, Linsey Smith
Oval Invincibles
England men's pick: Sam Curran
Local icons: Jason Roy, Tom Curran
England women's picks: Laura Marsh, Fran Wilson
Southern Brave
England men's pick: Jofra Archer
Local icons: James Vince, Chris Jordan
England women's picks: Anya Shrubsole, Danni Wyatt
Trent Rockets
England men's pick: Joe Root
Local icons: Alex Hales, Harry Gurney
England women's picks: Nat Sciver, Katherine Brunt
Welsh Fire
England men's pick: Jonny Bairstow
Local icons: Tom Banton, Colin Ingram
England women's picks: Katie George, Bryony Smith
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here