1: Australia 1977 and South Africa 1998, Their Test Debuts

Botham's first match was against the Australians at Trent Bridge, which started on 28 July 1977, coincidentially the same year Flintoff was born. England won this match by 7 wickets and Botham burst onto the world stage with the first of his 27 five wicket hauls in the Australian first innings. At one point he took 4 for 13 off 34 deliveries, to give England the ascendancy on the first day. This match is perhaps best remembered for local boy Derek Randall's selfless sacrifice of his own wicket to allow the well-set Boycott to continue his match winning innings.

The full scorecard for Botham's first match can be accessed by clicking on the link below:
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/engine/match/63192.html

The match report can be accessed below:
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152108.html

Flintoff's debut was also at Nottingham on 23 July 1998. England won the game by 8 wickets, a game best remembered for the duel between Donald and Atherton in England's second innings. Unlike Botham, Flintoff made an inauspicious start to his test career. He took only one wicket (Kallis) and scored only 17 runs in his single innings, although Wisden described it as "a cameo of power and impetuousness" and he had recently made the headlines for bludgening 34 off one over, portents of things to come.

The full scorecard for Flintoff's first match can be accessed by clicking on the link below:
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/engine/match/63807.html

Wisden's match report can be accessed by clicking on the link below:
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153342.html