SOMERSET are out to do their bit for club and country today when they fly the flag in the T20 Champions League.
Bolstered by the additions of Jos Buttler and Craig Kieswetter, the T20 runners-up to Leicestershire are determined to show the world how strong English county cricket is.
The national side are already the best Test team in the world and are the reigning T20 World Champions, so now it is left to the cider-swillers from Taunton to make their mark.
Up against a South Australia Redbacks side today that includes Yorkshire spinner Adil Rashid, Somerset hope to add to their win over Kolkata and propel themselves towards a potential semi-final.
“It is a huge day for us,” said Buttler. “The team has played some really good cricket over here and it is really exciting for me and Craig to join up with the guys who have done so well.
“We feel the responsibility of doing our bit for English cricket out here. We’re the last side left here and we’re representing Englsh cricket.
“The game back home has had a great summer, the national side are doing brilliantly so it is fair to say that English cricket is going well on the global stage.
“Now it is our turn to show how strong the county game is in this environment up against the best teams from around the world.
“If we can do something special out here it will be a fantastic reflection on both the club and the English game and that would be the icing on the cake for a fantastic season.”
It has been particularly special for Buttler, who made his England debut this summer, two years after taking his Somerset bow, and admits to being shocked by the speed of his rise.
He has featured in three international T20 matches so far, and was called up to the one-day squad to face India in Cardiff but missed out on selection to Jonny Bairstow, who made the most of his chance.
A hard-hitting middle-order batsman who can also take the gloves, Buttler is tipped to be a short-form star for England as they look to build towards both the 2012 World T20 and 2015 World Cup.
He clears the ropes on a regular basis and has all the reverse flicks and swipes that go along with being part of the generation who have grown up with T20.
“It was a good summer for me in the end,” added Buttler. “I actually had a poor start to it in championship cricket and things were a bit of a struggle, but it is amazing how things change around quickly.
“I didn’t think that my career would move forward as quickly as this. It was always my ambition to play for England as I think it is for every young county cricketer, but I was shocked and surprised at how quickly it has come about.
“But I have only played three T20 games and I want to be able to perform at that international level, so when I get my chances I want to take them and prove myself as a cricketer.
“There is such a long way for me to go as a player and I’m still learning. Hopefully I can put what I learn into practice for Somerset and England.”
Somerset are having to cope without captain Marcus Trescothick, who is not in India due to his stress-related illness.