Ian Botham 118 v Australia (Old Trafford 1981)

[FotoNathan1]

What's amazing about this is Botham hooking Lillee for sixes, and he has no helmet. Almost unthinkable today to play fast bowling without a helmet

[fetishsmoker19]

I remember this as i was there,that last six of bothams landed very very close to me.but it was a brilliant day.just like watching the excellent england test team now

[nakedmambo]

When I'm having a bad day I watch videos like this. Watching the Aussies of the underarm incident getting punished by Botham is satisfying indeed.

[hawking8]

Seven test matches in England/Wales this year and none in the north - big shame.

[ImpatientLime]

lol, lillee got absolutely sonned in this innings.

[sfwplant]

What a magnificent way to go to a six. Laker!

[TomSanderson100]

Love Beefy and his never say die attitude!

[Emilyismysunshine]

I lived in Zummerzet in 1981, Sir Ian was a local hero at the time and by the end of the series was a god. He became (and still is) my absolute sporting hero. I count myself fortunate that my uncle regularly took me to Taunton to watch Beefy, and a couple of other blokes from WI who were quite good - Sir Viv and Big Bird.

[Imrankniazi]

@Emilyismysunshine How good was that Brian Rose guy of Somerset? Any idea?

[pix042]

A swashbuckler in action! Botham did not always play this type of cric ket. Remember, he was captain at i8n the first two tests of this series and got dropped as captain after a pair in the second test at Lord's. Brearley came in as the specialist non-batting (!) captain and Botahm got on with bowling and batting. The tough psychology of the man is amazing in itself: imagine being humiliated as captain and then coming out in the very next few tests with bat and ball like this.

[b0m83d]

CRICKET IS FUCKING GAY.

[gurgle111100]

So are you then you stupid fucking cunt

[b0m83d]

@gurgle111100

CRICKET IS FOR MIDGET HOMOSEXUALS.

[MMRJL]

@b0m83d  - you are in the running for the biggest twat contributor to You Tube

[b0m83d]

boo fucking hoo.

[whouster]

@b0m83d

I'm guessing that you're not a particularly successful person, either in work or in social situations. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that you are a total tit.

[gurgle111100]

If you think cricket is gay and you're watching cricket on youtube - you must be gay

[Caracalla23]

Do you know many midget homosexuals bum83?

[MMRJL]

@b0m83d

[dagenhamkeith]

Well go out and face a 6 foot 7 guy bowling (pitcher) a lump of concrete at your head

Nearly at 100 miles an hour from 22 yards away and then you may change your mind about cricket being gay.

D-head

[trustorbust2009]

Botham the greatest - a one off - just love him smashing Lillee out of the ground _ I scored this myself as a ten yr old

[kipps2]

No helmet!

[2050earth]

its all about afridi

fuck flintoff and co

[Eltoniobonio]

Remember this series so well. The call would go out "Bothams batting!" Drop everything and gather round the TV. Certainly in my life-time Beefy is the best allrounder. Broad is only young but showing immense promise.

[ThePaw89]

Botham's acceleration of the bat through the ball is incredible, explosive hitting.

[tonyrome67]

Flintoff is good but Beefy was in a different class. And, wowbagger, the reason Botham took a lot of wickets was because he swung the ball and was very intelligent. Just having pace is not enough!

[wowbagger1954]

Botham was absolutely marvellous, but it always amazed me that he got the wickets he did. His test record was much more impressive than his county record.

The guy who said that Flintoff wasn't fit to lace Botham's boots was most unfair to Freddie. Flintoff is a much faster, more hostile and dangerous bowler than Botham ever was. Great cricketers both: Botham has the edge because of his outrageous success in 1981 but it was Brearley, the greatest post-war captain, who got the best out of Botham.

[askbaby]

The current England team should all watch this video and the Bob WIllis 8-34 video. Whilst it was an amazing (tail end) performance to draw the 1st Ashes Test of 2009, we need this kind of attitude shown here in order to win vs Australia. Please Note: he is not wearing a helmet facing Lillee. Honestly if you watched this live on TV you already know just how incredibly amazing Botham was in 1981. Seriously the entire English team need to watch this video and Bob's 8-34.

[raysteer]

I beg to differ, attempting to copy such performances would be dangerouse, it takes huge talent and buckets of luck, the people involved admitted that they where one-offs. What England need now is discipline in batting and controled bowling, which they started to do at Lord¨s yesterday.

[dessieb123]

the best all round cricketer england has ever produced, flintoff wouldnt lace his boots!!!!

[mookmeister30]

Its just amazing that Botham was facing the likes of Lilee without a helmet! These Pietersen wears a helmet to face Chris Gayle and Yuvraj Singh!! But having said that, I believe it is an insurance against professional hazards at job.

[bitterfuse95]

The fact that an Ashes test isn't being played at Old Trafford this summer is an absolute disgrace. OK, grounds like the Riverside & Cardiff do deserve to stage Test Match cricket & will do an excellent job, but this is the Ashes for God's sake & we need all the help against the Aussies we can get. It is a total fucking disgrace.

[marxistsoldier]

old trafford should be the first ground on the list.

cricket at lords is so boring, something needs to be done about the lords pitch.

[dojj1968]

I was there that day, as a 15 year old.

Greatest innings I have ever seen

Don't underestimate the contribution of Tavare at the other end.

[cjt1881]

And of course when Botham was out, Tavare, and the remaining batsmen added another 151 runs with Knott and Emburey both making 50s. England went on to win by 103 runs! Though obviously it was Beefy who really got things going, with the score being 104/5 when he arrived and the eventual total 404. phenomenal innings!

[pix042]

I was 15, too. Only saw it on tv, though. Beefy could play every shot that wasn't in the book.

[belch1889]

I was there too that day, also as a 15-year-old, and yes, I don't think I've seen a better innings.

Tavare was a bit of a hero of mine too- I perfected the blocking-every-ball technique myself. I once helped secure a losing draw for Sheffield Bankers seconds with 2 from 13 overs, and my legendary 5 not out off ten overs secured the same for Sheffield Uni Lecturers against Sout Yorkshire Police...

[tmolet]

to doublejjones

I agree, but especially Mike Proctor. What a loss to test cricket. Story is that when he played in England (Gloucestershire, I think) he didn't have his own bat but would pick up whatever team bat was nearest the door when he went out to play.

Legend.

[DoubleJJones1]

South Africa if they were allowed to play international cricket could have fielded 3 great all-rounders in the same team.

Mike Proctor, Eddie Barlow and Clive Rice were as good in terms of talent as the big 4 all-rounders who did play international cricket throughout the 1980's. Although they never played at international level, Proctor, Barlow and Rice at least got some chance of playing against other great players within a country's touring team which toured England during each summer.

[ConE500]

The screen must be suffering from anorexia.

[HassanNY]

well, looking back i truly believe Botthom would be the one, but when i look at what imran had done, it is a close call. I dont think Kapil is in that league, was a great allrounder so was headly, if i were to rank them Botthom and imran were the all time best.

[HassanNY]

Botthom one of the best world ever produced, between him and imran who do you think is better?

[mts1977]

That's a great question. My heart says Botham, but my head says Imran as he won the World Cup. And of course was a wonderful player. But then, there's Hadlee and Kapil Dev from that era too

[ludocrat]

Great performances are all about context, though. Name one memorable performance by Imran and I'll name you ten by Beefy.

That's why statistics are meaningless, more or less...;)

[stuttsy83]

its not the same whitout ritchie benaud at the mic every english summer i wish sky could bring him back in the box

[ludocrat]

I've got "Botham's Ashes" too. Got it as a Xmas pressie in 1981 (still works too). Brilliant.

[snawazz]

wow, truly one of the greatest all rounders and as one of the viewers posted, he was battin against lillie without helmet. Hes a Man of real Guts,shame on all the modern cricketers

[ockeghem35]

The most exciting English sportsman in my lifetime....I was born 1967. He deserves his knighthood.

[TimBobPaulMary]

very little footwork to the fast bowlers but don't bowl short to him..

[pinkorange12]

the good old days when england were BETTER THAN AUSTRALIA

[OneBigRetard]

What. 2005?

[snacg]

richie benaud is a legend for me the voice of cricket he even slated his own teram for that disgraceful underarm incident against new zealand

[supernffc]

Ahh memories!

[englishnproud66]

brilliant and batting without helmets modern day cricketers are too pampered lol

[UncleTheOne]

this innings is soooooo much better than the headingly one.

[ignition2000]

lol, botham was under contract to use the brand

[ignition2000]

a class crickter, and the best thing.. he used my uncles cricket equipment

[Arkle546]

Didn't your uncle mind? Surely Both should have done the decent thing and bought his own.

[SAMJE123456]

World class knock.Thanks for the memory.

[SATULAL]

Its just great to hear Richie Benaud commentating....by far the greatest commentator of all time, unbiased and fair!

[Bens39]

Yes, Richie Benaud is the most knowledgable and unbiased of commentators in our time. A classy cricketer too, especially when Oz had their backs to the wall. Long live benaud.

[snacg]

was fortunate enuff to be there always remember geoff boycott and chris taverae puttin on about 20 runs in 2hrs play then in came the legend ITB ha ha god that man was a colloussus in cricket

[kniphofia]

Happy memories! I watched every ball of the match on TV. Incredible stuff!

[joonsy386]

The word legend is much overused in modern sport, the exception to that rule is ITB

[sledge999]

The best innings in cricketing history. I was there. Lillee was the best bowler in the world, bowling at top speed, and Botham just kept swatting him into the crowd. Unreal!

[madbob73]

Woah, this is dodgy quality. I'll upload a better version of this later methinks!