JOEL Garner, one of Somerset’s most successful bowlers, has been back in town and has spent an evening in the County Room regaling the packed room with stories from his life and cricketing career.

An ‘Evening with Joel Garner’ more than lived up to all expectations with the 150 or so guests arriving shortly after 6pm where they enjoyed an outstanding curry before Big Bird arrived to a standing ovation.

The first part of the evening saw the record breaking bowler engaging in conversation with Spencer Bishop, who co-hosted the occasion with Pete Trego, during which he talked about his humble upbringing on Barbados and how he started out on his cricketing journey.

In 1976 he was offered the chance to come and play Lancashire League cricket for Littleborough from where on the instigation of Bath bookmaker Len Creed he joined Somerset.

In 1979 his first full year Somerset won two trophies and he was a major factor, in what is remembered as the Glory Years when they won five trophies in as many season.

Joel's figures speak for themselves - in all he played in 94 first class matches for Somerset, taking 338 wickets at 18.10 with a best of eight for 31, while in the 128 List A matches he played he captured 206 wickets at 15.15 - quite amazing.

The second part of the evening involved watching the BBC TV highlights on the 1979 Gillette Cup and 1981 Benson and Hedges Cup finals when Pete Trego and Joel Garner discussed the finals as the footage played.

Big Bird then answered question from the floor during which it was obvious the affection that those present had for this mild mannered polite giant of a man, who obviously loved Somerset as much as Somerset loved him and still does.

The final part of the evening involved Joel’s nominating his all time Greatest XI based on those he had played with and against.

Joel's XI was - Gordon Greenidge, Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards, Alvin Kallicharan, Lawrence Rowe, Greg Chappell, Deryck Murray or Derek Taylor (wkt), Ian Botham, Garfield Sobers, Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts and Dennis Lillee.

Asked to nominate a 12th man Joel came up with Dennis Breakwell who would lift the spirits of everyone whatever was happening out on the field.

All too soon it was time to go home but not before the Big Bird received another standing ovation and said if he had his time all over again he would come to Somerset to play cricket, a place where he still had so many friends.

Afterwards many of those who had been enthralled by the Big Bird’s memories stayed behind to chat, ask for autographs and take selfies.