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Jarrod Kimber's avatar

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.

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Paul, Somerset's avatar

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.)

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Jarrod Kimber's avatar

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.

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Paul, Somerset's avatar

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

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Jarrod Kimber's avatar

Cheers.

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