Looking back, the difference in 2011 was that he wasn't supposed or expected to be the Jos Buttler we know now. It was less than two years since he'd made his first-class debut at Taunton (I remember sitting there, in front of what seemed to be an enthusiastic auntie, who was squealing with delight at his every run - it was that sort of atmosphere). He was second-fiddle at the club to Kieswetter, and he'd been dropped as a consequence - it was up to Buttler himself to see whether he was going to make it as a county cricketer. He wouldn't have been the first schoolboy prodigy who didn't. Alex Barrow - his contemporary at King's College, another keeper/batsman, with whom he'd shared massive stands - was one who never quite made it.
Back in those days there was no question of having a county career as a specialist white-ball batsman. Whatever talents you had, they had to work in a red-ball context. Just because he'd smashed monstrous double centuries in 50-over cricket as a schoolboy, he was never expected to somehow parachute those fireworks straight into a first-class game. It was the scratchy singles in his debut 30 which had thrilled his Auntie Janet. A scoop straight down the throat of fine leg wouldn't have.
But these days, with his IPL fireworks the equivalent of those schoolboy double tons, England seem to want him to do precisely that. They don't seem to want him assessing the conditions and being happy with singles, then, if and only if the circumstances allow it, picking the exact moment to demoralize the opposition, as he did that glorious August day in 2011. All the pressure is on him to flick the switch and become Jos Buttler out of the IPL at some point in every innings, preferably sooner rather than later. Otherwise what's the point in picking him? I don't think we'll ever again get to see him showcase the expert first-class batsman he used to be when he didn't have that burden of expectation.
Great story, Paul. Thanks for sharing. What I would add is that he still averaged around 30 with Somerset, and much of that was before the hype. I don't think there is a doubt he can play an occasional one off innings like this. He's even played some great knocks in Tests (the hundred v India, half-century in Sri Lanka, etc). But when you look back at that record at Taunton, you will still see that before that expectation his record is remarkably similar to what it is now in Tests. Like, eerily so. England 32av/57sr, Somerset, 32av/60sr. So while I think England was wrong to make him do what he has (that is what a major project is about), I also think that what he's produced is more or less what we should expect from him looking at what he did for Somerset, Lancs and his first run in Tests.
I suppose I could argue that a lot of that Somerset period would have included his first couple of years, as a rookie, before the breakthrough century against Sussex, when he was still learning the first-class game. But exactly the same applies to the first couple of years of his England Test career, of course, so I can't use that defence.
I'll just have to settle for that horrible, old-timer's argument of "ignore the stats, you had to be there". Anyone who was there at Taunton in August 2011, who saw the conditions, the match situation and the quality of the bowling, and then saw the confidence, the awareness and the sheer skill with which Buttler overcame them knows that he was once more than a flat-track, white-ball destroyer. To me it'll always be a question of why does it no longer happen.
(For what it's worth, a few of us who saw that innings were discussing this just a few days ago, and in the end we decided that the root cause was his status as a wicket keeper; it would have been better if he'd never picked up a pair of gloves. For one thing, he's a fantastic fielder anywhere, and frankly wasted behind the stumps; but more crucially it meant that at Somerset he was in competition with Craig Kieswetter, and forced to compete head-on in batting style; and with England his batting position seems determined by where a wicketkeeper is "supposed" to bat, whereas as a pure batsman, and the most talented one in England at that, he would have been granted whichever position most suited him. But I have to admit, this might really just have been a few middle-aged men online trying to convince themselves that what they saw that one fine August day wasn't really a mirage.)
I think part of the problem with him is we have all seen it. It doesn't matter if it's that innings or him flat batting Mitchell Starc over his head. But when it comes down to it there is not enough runs. Do you mind if I use this story for my feature? And if yes, please let me know if I can use your name as well.
Please do. And I'd be delighted to be quoted by name - it was one of those days where you want posterity to know "I was there!"
By the way, here's the discussion we had about Buttler, the gloves and THAT innings on a Somerset supporters' forum last week. I posted as "That Bloke With The Dog" about 4 or 5 posts down:
Just thought I'd share something I posted on the Betfair forum on 3 August 2011. It's still the best first-class innings I've seen, and I've been watching the game since the 1970s. I know of a couple of other witnesses that day whose memories go back further, and they still agree. Here it is, verbatim as I posted it at the time:
Sussex 245 & 94/4 (26.0 ov)
Somerset 286 (J Buttler 100 off 112 balls)
You might see that stat and just think, "Good knock, but basically nothing more than smashing the boundaries at Taunton."
Nothing of the sort.
This wicket has been turning from day 1, and the bounce has been vicious enough for 5 boundaries to go sailing over the Sussex keeper's head.
Somerset were 93-7 in a must-win Ch'ship clash. Two international bowlers, Wayne Parnell and Panesar, were destroying the Somerset batting.
Buttler never looked in trouble, Suddenly everything was calm when he was at the crease. He waited for the occasional single when the chance was there.
Then Monty at last dropped one short. The ball was smashed 30 feet over the top of the stands, never to be seen again.
With the change of ball the whole innings changed. Never once did Buttler need to force the issue, but every hint of an error was brutally punished. Another ball disappeared into the River Tone.
Parnell lost his bearings. No balls and wides followed. Monty jogged over from mid-off to offer some calming words of advice to Parnell. By the end of the over Parnell was aiming a Swann-style kick at the stumps (he even missed with that) and was removed from the attack.
Buttler sailed serenely on, as Alfonso Thomas at the other end continued his 3-hour vigil - a tail-ender valuing his wicket.
Buttler made just one error when a top-edge off a hook landed in no-man's-land.
After a standing ovation for his hundred, one kept low and uprooted his stumps.
Before today Buttler had been struggling - relegated to the 2nd XI and only playing because Kieswetter was off with the Lions. Whether today launches a great career or not, it was still an extraordinary innings in dire circumstances.
Looking back, the difference in 2011 was that he wasn't supposed or expected to be the Jos Buttler we know now. It was less than two years since he'd made his first-class debut at Taunton (I remember sitting there, in front of what seemed to be an enthusiastic auntie, who was squealing with delight at his every run - it was that sort of atmosphere). He was second-fiddle at the club to Kieswetter, and he'd been dropped as a consequence - it was up to Buttler himself to see whether he was going to make it as a county cricketer. He wouldn't have been the first schoolboy prodigy who didn't. Alex Barrow - his contemporary at King's College, another keeper/batsman, with whom he'd shared massive stands - was one who never quite made it.
Back in those days there was no question of having a county career as a specialist white-ball batsman. Whatever talents you had, they had to work in a red-ball context. Just because he'd smashed monstrous double centuries in 50-over cricket as a schoolboy, he was never expected to somehow parachute those fireworks straight into a first-class game. It was the scratchy singles in his debut 30 which had thrilled his Auntie Janet. A scoop straight down the throat of fine leg wouldn't have.
But these days, with his IPL fireworks the equivalent of those schoolboy double tons, England seem to want him to do precisely that. They don't seem to want him assessing the conditions and being happy with singles, then, if and only if the circumstances allow it, picking the exact moment to demoralize the opposition, as he did that glorious August day in 2011. All the pressure is on him to flick the switch and become Jos Buttler out of the IPL at some point in every innings, preferably sooner rather than later. Otherwise what's the point in picking him? I don't think we'll ever again get to see him showcase the expert first-class batsman he used to be when he didn't have that burden of expectation.
Great story, Paul. Thanks for sharing. What I would add is that he still averaged around 30 with Somerset, and much of that was before the hype. I don't think there is a doubt he can play an occasional one off innings like this. He's even played some great knocks in Tests (the hundred v India, half-century in Sri Lanka, etc). But when you look back at that record at Taunton, you will still see that before that expectation his record is remarkably similar to what it is now in Tests. Like, eerily so. England 32av/57sr, Somerset, 32av/60sr. So while I think England was wrong to make him do what he has (that is what a major project is about), I also think that what he's produced is more or less what we should expect from him looking at what he did for Somerset, Lancs and his first run in Tests.
Those stats are eerie!
I suppose I could argue that a lot of that Somerset period would have included his first couple of years, as a rookie, before the breakthrough century against Sussex, when he was still learning the first-class game. But exactly the same applies to the first couple of years of his England Test career, of course, so I can't use that defence.
I'll just have to settle for that horrible, old-timer's argument of "ignore the stats, you had to be there". Anyone who was there at Taunton in August 2011, who saw the conditions, the match situation and the quality of the bowling, and then saw the confidence, the awareness and the sheer skill with which Buttler overcame them knows that he was once more than a flat-track, white-ball destroyer. To me it'll always be a question of why does it no longer happen.
(For what it's worth, a few of us who saw that innings were discussing this just a few days ago, and in the end we decided that the root cause was his status as a wicket keeper; it would have been better if he'd never picked up a pair of gloves. For one thing, he's a fantastic fielder anywhere, and frankly wasted behind the stumps; but more crucially it meant that at Somerset he was in competition with Craig Kieswetter, and forced to compete head-on in batting style; and with England his batting position seems determined by where a wicketkeeper is "supposed" to bat, whereas as a pure batsman, and the most talented one in England at that, he would have been granted whichever position most suited him. But I have to admit, this might really just have been a few middle-aged men online trying to convince themselves that what they saw that one fine August day wasn't really a mirage.)
I think part of the problem with him is we have all seen it. It doesn't matter if it's that innings or him flat batting Mitchell Starc over his head. But when it comes down to it there is not enough runs. Do you mind if I use this story for my feature? And if yes, please let me know if I can use your name as well.
Please do. And I'd be delighted to be quoted by name - it was one of those days where you want posterity to know "I was there!"
By the way, here's the discussion we had about Buttler, the gloves and THAT innings on a Somerset supporters' forum last week. I posted as "That Bloke With The Dog" about 4 or 5 posts down:
https://www.cricketnetwork.co.uk/boards/read/s59.htm?60,16794044,page=3
Cheers.
Just thought I'd share something I posted on the Betfair forum on 3 August 2011. It's still the best first-class innings I've seen, and I've been watching the game since the 1970s. I know of a couple of other witnesses that day whose memories go back further, and they still agree. Here it is, verbatim as I posted it at the time:
Sussex 245 & 94/4 (26.0 ov)
Somerset 286 (J Buttler 100 off 112 balls)
You might see that stat and just think, "Good knock, but basically nothing more than smashing the boundaries at Taunton."
Nothing of the sort.
This wicket has been turning from day 1, and the bounce has been vicious enough for 5 boundaries to go sailing over the Sussex keeper's head.
Somerset were 93-7 in a must-win Ch'ship clash. Two international bowlers, Wayne Parnell and Panesar, were destroying the Somerset batting.
Buttler never looked in trouble, Suddenly everything was calm when he was at the crease. He waited for the occasional single when the chance was there.
Then Monty at last dropped one short. The ball was smashed 30 feet over the top of the stands, never to be seen again.
With the change of ball the whole innings changed. Never once did Buttler need to force the issue, but every hint of an error was brutally punished. Another ball disappeared into the River Tone.
Parnell lost his bearings. No balls and wides followed. Monty jogged over from mid-off to offer some calming words of advice to Parnell. By the end of the over Parnell was aiming a Swann-style kick at the stumps (he even missed with that) and was removed from the attack.
Buttler sailed serenely on, as Alfonso Thomas at the other end continued his 3-hour vigil - a tail-ender valuing his wicket.
Buttler made just one error when a top-edge off a hook landed in no-man's-land.
After a standing ovation for his hundred, one kept low and uprooted his stumps.
Before today Buttler had been struggling - relegated to the 2nd XI and only playing because Kieswetter was off with the Lions. Whether today launches a great career or not, it was still an extraordinary innings in dire circumstances.