Botham’s remarkable turnaround stuff of legend

ENGLAND’S legendary allrounder, Ian Botham, etched his name in the history books in the Third Ashes Test at Headingley in 1981.

The drama started in Leeds with the visitors on the verge of an easy win within four days to go 2-0 up. Up stepped Botham with a gung-ho 149 to at least make Australia bat again, when an inspired Bob Willis swept through their line-up with 8-43.

It sealed a remarkable 18-run win and signalled a significant shift in the series, which England went on to win 3-1.

It was the second time in the history of Test cricket that the side following-on had won and it defied all logic.

Botham had just resigned the captaincy after a Lord’s draw in which he registered his only Test pair. He was replaced at the helm by former skipper Mike Brearley.

Having won the toss, Australia chose to bat and carded 401- 9 declared, with John Dyson constructing a diligent 102 and half-centuries coming from Kim Hughes and Graham Yallop.

Botham captured 6-95 and scored a half-century in England’s first innings, but it was the only respectable score and the hosts followed on.

While Australia were convinced of victory, despite some players including Dennis Lillee and Rodney Marsh betting on an England win at 500-1, Brearley’s boys booked out of their hotel on Monday in the belief they would be beaten by the end of the day.

Lillee’s dismissal of Peter Willey saw him pass Hugh Trumble’s Ashes record of 141 dismissals, and at 135- 7 it looked as if England had lost the Test — and Lillee and Marsh their money.

But then came the incredible turnaround. Botham swung the bat and, with support from Graham Dilley, added 117 in 80 minutes.

Another 67 came with Chris Old at the other end, and by the close of the day, England had to find some hotel beds.

Botham and Willis added just five more runs the next morning to leave Australia a target of 130 to win, and at 56-1 they were firm favourites to do just that.

However, Willis changed ends, and bowling into the wind charged in like a man possessed to take 8-43, the best analysis of his career. Australia were undone — all out for 111— and a legend was born.

It was a remarkable turnaround for Botham.

At the end of February 1980, he had returned home after taking 13 wickets and scoring 114 during England’s victory over India in the Golden Jubilee Test. In 25 Tests he had made 1336 runs at 40.48 and bagged 139 wickets at an astonishing 18.52.

By far the most influential player in the side, Botham’s appointment as captain to succeed Brearley seemed logical and was welcomed.

Geoffrey Boycott was 39 and brought too much baggage; Graham Gooch had played 20 Tests without yet scoring a century, which meant he was barely established as a fixture; David Gower was thought callow; and Willis too diffident.

The honour was too great to spurn but the inheritance was dreadful, back- to- back series against West Indies in- terrupted by a home Centenary Test against Australia.

Having been confirmed as captain for the three-match one-day series against Australia and the first two Tests, Botham resigned after losing the former 2-1 and at 1-0 down in the Ashes following a fourwicket defeat at Trent Bridge and the draw at Lord’s, when he had been bowled by Ray Bright to complete a pair.

In 12 Tests in charge, four lost and eight drawn, England’s formerly unflappable all- rounder had made 276 runs at 13.14 and his 35 wickets had cost him 33.08 apiece.

He had neither added to his six Test centuries nor his 14 five-wicket spoils but all that changed at Headingley.