Brian Rose

In 270 first-class matches he scored 13,236 runs at 33.25 with a career best of 205. He resumed teaching after retiring from the first-class game, but maintained his involvement with Somerset. A past Chairman of Cricket, he became the Director of Cricket at Taunton, but stood down at the end of the 2012 season.

Helped perhaps by Ian Botham's captaincy of England, Rose played nine Tests, and batted as well as anyone against the fearsome West Indies attack in 1980, making 243 runs at 48.60. He developed eye problems, had to return early and batted with glasses for the rest of his career.

Rose made the infamous decision to declare Somerset's innings closed in a 1979 Benson and Hedges Cup zonal match after one over, to ensure their progress through the group on run-rate. While within the rules, Somerset were ejected from the competition for bringing the game into disrepute, and Rose was condemned in the press.

Rose was educated at Weston-super-Mare Grammar School for Boys. He trained as a teacher before pursuing a successful county career with Somerset. A left-handed opening batsman, he succeeded Brian Close as captain in 1978, and he led the county to their first ever trophies, the Gillette Cup and the John Player League, in 1979. The team was a potent blend of world-class match winners in Ian Botham, Viv Richards and Joel Garner, county professionals and keen youngsters.

Brian Charles Rose (born 4 June 1950) is an English former cricketer, who played in nine Test matches and two One Day Internationals (ODIs) for the England cricket team between 1977 and 1981.