Sir Ian Botham reflects on his early career on the 50th anniversary of his first match in Somerset.
Sir Ian Botham made his senior debut for Somerset Country Cricket Club in 1973 at the age of 17He was the larger-than-life character on and off the pitch, fondly known as Beefy, and described by one of his first team captains as "a force of nature".
Sir Ian said: "I was very surprised to be out there but it was great. It gave me a taste and I certainly wanted more of it." The cricketing giant was born in Cheshire but later his family moved to Yeovil, Somerset, when his dad began working for the British aircraft manufacturer Westland Helicopters. A natural sportsman, Sir Ian was also a talented footballer, but chose cricket over a career in football and was a big fan of both from a young age.
Brian Rose said Closer's strength was that he was able to "dominate" Sir Ian. "It was a quiet dressing room then," he remembers. "A game changer."
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