Free The Ashes by John Miller Page B

Hughes won his first Test as captain against England by four wickets. The Lord’s Test was drawn and was Botham’s final match as captain as he was replaced by Brearley after an unhappy reign of four defeats and eight draws.
All-round hero
    The Leeds Test saw Botham at his best, giving England an 18-run win. Australia made 9–401 (Botham 6–95) and then bundled England out for 174 (Botham 50). Following on and with the side at 5–105, Botham blasted his way to 149 not out with his century coming off 87 balls. He took England to 356 and became the first England player to score a century and take five wickets in an innings of an Ashes match. After holding a 227-run lead on the first innings, Australia faced a target of 130 for victory. Willis, motivated by Botham, took 8–43 as Australia was all out for 111.
    After being criticised for his weight, his form, his apparent lack of leadership and his attitude, Botham was suddenly a national hero; he was just the sort of player the English loved to see beat the Aussies. Botham was six years old when he told his parents he was going to be a professional sportsman. At nine he was playing with adults in Somerset and at twelve made the Yeovil Second XI. A year later he captained the under-sixteen team at Buckler’s Mead Secondary School and was soon picked for the Somerset schools team. At fifteen he was just as keen on soccer and Crystal Palace wanted to sign him, but his ultimate desire lay with cricket.
    Botham spent two seasons as a Lord’s ground staff boy and continued to develop but without recognition, particularly of his bowling. His determination was strong and his attitude was that he would ‘show them’. Botham was blooded in two Sunday league games for Somerset at the end of 1973 and made the step up to first-class cricket in 1974 at age eighteen. His effort in a one-day quarter-final against Hampshire typified his career: he bowled the best batsman in county cricket at the time, South African Barry Richards, and then came in at 7–113 with fifteen overs to go and 70 to win. West Indian Andy Roberts, the fastest bowler in England that year, hit him in the mouth with a bouncer and the helmet-less Botham spat out blood and teeth, continued and dominated the final overs, hitting the winning runs. In 102 Tests he scored 5200 runs at 33.54, took 383 wickets at 28.40 and made 120 catches.
    Following the Leeds miracle, a demoralised Australian team ran into a spirited England in Birmingham and lost by 29, as Botham demolished them in the second innings, taking 5–1. In Manchester, Border made an unbeaten 123 batting with an injured finger but his efforts were not enough to save Australia, who lost by 103. Botham’s 118 included six sixes.
    Australia regained the Ashes 2–1 in the 1982–83 series at home. After capturing a record 42 wickets in the 1981 series, Alderman claimed one in this as he was forced out of the first Test in Perth after dislocating his shoulder when he tackled a spectator who had run onto the ground. Australia took the lead with a seven-wicket win in Brisbane. On debut the South African-born Kepler Wessels scored 162 and Marsh took an Ashes record of six catches in the second innings. Greg Chappell made his ninth and final hundred against England in Adelaide as Australia won by eight wickets. The visitors won a thriller in Melbourne by three runs.
    Alan Border’s touring side of 1985 lost the Ashes as England won three Tests and Australia one. England won at Headingley, with Tim Robinson scoring 175 in his first Ashes Test. Australia levelled the series with a four-wicket win at Lord’s, Border scoring 43 per cent of the side’s runs. The Nottingham Test was drawn with English captain Gower (166), Wood (172) and Greg Ritchie (146) scoring centuries. The Manchester Test was also drawn with Mike Gatting (160) scoring his first Test century at home. Gower helped secure an innings victory in Birmingham, making 215, assisted by swing bowler Richard