Jos Buttler wants another World Cup hundred for England in a winning cause
"We played some good cricket against Pakistan, just not quite good enough. But there's no need to panic, we're still an excellent team"
Saturday 8 June 2019 10:01, UK
Sky Sports columnist Jos Buttler reflects on a first World Cup hundred, albeit in defeat to Pakistan, that Ben Stokes catch and seeks out golfing tips from Rob Key…
With so many good teams playing each other in this tournament, you're going to lose a game or two. It's about how you bounce back, and there's determination and excitement among the group to get it right for the next game.
We let ourselves down in the field against Pakistan. The standards we set against South Africa were very high - it was one of our best-ever fielding performances - so to then drop off so much in the next game was a big disappointment.
Personally, it was nice to score a hundred, but it isn't a particularly fond memory because it was in a losing cause.
Joe Root and I managed to put on a fantastic partnership. We were constantly chatting while we were out there about where we wanted to be at certain stages of the chase, and we were ticking those targets off.
The way Joe goes about his business is incredible. He looks like he barely lifts the bat up, yet he scores a run-a-ball hundred. It's awesome to see him in such great form early in the tournament because he's a massive player for us.
When Joe got out, the equation changed a little bit. Approaching five overs to go, I was just about getting into position for a big final push - we have seen around the world, especially this year in the IPL, the amount of runs than can be scored in those final few overs to win games of cricket - and I was confident that myself and Moeen Ali could pull it off, but unfortunately it wasn't to be.
Obviously in time, I will look back and be proud of scoring a World Cup hundred, but I hope I can score one in a winning cause at some point.
The main focus of the team has to be 'one game at a time'. We've already seen in this tournament that anyone can beat anyone on their day.
We won't be taking Bangladesh lightly on Saturday, that's for sure. I think in terms of caps, they're the second-most experienced team in the competition, and they showed just what quality they have in beating South Africa.
As with any side, we're aware of their threat, but we're also keen to come back to our strengths and look at what we do well. The South Africa win to start the World Cup - a very tough fixture to open with - is a prime example, with so many guys contributing.
I had a great view of that catch by Ben Stokes. Andile Phehlukwayo hit the ball so well, and flat, but once you realised it was Stokesy out there in the deep, you immediately thought 'he's got a chance here'.
For a lot of people, it's a one-in-a-100 catch. But for Ben, you know he can pull that off. The one at Trent Bridge in the 2015 Ashes springs to mind, as does the one to dismiss AB de Villiers in Bloemfontein - another one-handed effort on the boundary.
It was an incredible catch, a ridiculous catch. The image of him and the reaction of the crowd behind him was a really powerful one, showing just how sport can capture people.
A less iconic image is the one he posted on Twitter this week of me, him, Rooty and James Vince from the 2010 U19 World Cup.
When you see those 'then and now' pictures, it is quite amazing to think that 10 years on we would be part of a home World Cup together. With everything going on, you don't really take on board how far we've all come.
I reckon I'm doing alright in the picture. But, at 19, I would say Rooty's hair was in need of a bit of attention.
I've also called out Rob Key for some golfing tips on Twitter. The team do enjoy their golf - quite a few of the guys keep their clubs in the back of the car and, when we get a chance, we try to play - but it's hard to get in Keysey's golf diary. He is too busy playing with all the big dogs.
Every time I see him, he is telling me about all the golf he is playing, and winning, and I've seen him do a few of these instructional videos - they have been excellent; I want another one. The US Open is coming up, so maybe Sky Sports Golf should get him involved.
We have had a few days at home since the Pakistan game before meeting up for practice in Cardiff on Thursday and Friday.
Live ICC Cricket World Cup
Having a young baby helps keep cricket in perspective. It has been nice to be at home, enjoy some time with the family, [try to] recharge the batteries and get ready for the next one.
I've been watching bits and pieces of the other games, and what has stood out has been the variety of scores so far. Each ground has had different types of pitches, with different sets of conditions and challenges.
Everything is being looked into in more detail than it would be a bilateral series, but it can't change the way we approach the game. We've performed brilliantly for a long time now, and our preparation doesn't change just for the World Cup.
We played some good cricket against Pakistan as well, just not quite good enough. But there's no need to panic, we're still an excellent team. It's about not getting too caught up in outside noise.
We're going to be put under pressure, have tough periods, and excellent periods. We just have to knock them off, game by game.
Our aim is to get to the knockout stages. Once you get there, anything can happen. That's the main focus of the team, starting on Saturday against Bangladesh.
You can watch every match of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup on Sky Sports Cricket, including England's next game against Bangladesh from 10am on Saturday.
