IAN TERENCE BOTHAM (ENGLAND)

Introduction:

Ian Terence Botham (born 24 November 1955) is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well known by his nickname "Beefy". While at times a controversial player both on and off the field, Ian Botham also held a number of Test cricket records, and until 17 April 2015 held the record for the highest number of wickets taken by an England bowler, when surpassed by James Anderson. He is generally regarded as being England's greatest ever all rounder, particularly in Test cricket, although having earned celebrity status, his award of a knighthood was in recognition of his services to charity. Just like fellow cricketers Denis Compton, Chris Balderstone and Arnold Side bottom, Ian Botham was also a talented footballer, and made 11 appearances in the Football League. Ian Botham was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2007 New Years Honours List and on 8 August 2009, was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Personal Life:

Ian Botham married Kathryn Waller ''now Lady Botham'' whom he first met in June 1974. After their marriage, In 1976, they lived until the late 1980 in Epworth, near Scunthorpe. They have one son, Liam ''born August 1977'', and two daughters, Becky ''born November 1985'' and Sarah. Sarah works for Sky as a production assistant, and Liam is a former professional cricketer and rugby player. Viv Richards is godfather to Liam. Ian Botham is an enthusiastic football fan and supports, Chelsea. He is also a vice president at Scunthorpe United Football Club. Ian Botham is also passionate about playing golf. Ian Botham is also an avid trout and salmon angler, and presented a TV series Ian Botham on the Fly with guests such as Eric Clapton, Mike Atherton and Chris Tarrant.

Career:

Ian Botham bowling figures did not stand out, but there were some size able scores, namely 91 for the Under 25 v Glamorgan Under 25, 82 and 42 v Cornwall, 51 v Gloucester Under 25, 50 v Glamorgan 2nd XI and in his last game ''before his 1986 comeback match'' 100 against Glamorgan 2nd XI. In first class cricket, he scored 19,399 runs at 33.97, took 1,172 wickets at 27.22 and held 354 catches. He played for Durham, Somerset and Worcestershire, as well as a season ''1987-88'' in Australia playing for the Queensland Bulls. Ian Botham began his first class career in 1974 with Somerset. In that year, when playing against Hampshire and facing the West Indian fast bowler Andy Roberts, a bouncer hit him straight in the mouth. He spat out teeth and simply carried on batting. In 1986 he resigned from Somerset, in protest against the sacking of his friends Viv Richards and Joel Garner, and joined Worcestershire, playing for that county between 1987 and 1991. In 1992, he joined County Championship newcomers Durham before retiring midway through the 1993 season, his last match being Durham's match against the visiting Australian XI. Ian Botham made his Test debut for England on 28 July 1977 in the Third Test against Australia, where he took five wickets for 74 runs in the first innings. He went on to enjoy a Test career spanning 15 years, in which he played in 102 matches. Ian Botham finished his Test career with 5,200 runs at an average of 33.54, taking 383 wickets at an average of 28.40, and holding 120 catches. He is generally regarded as one of England's greatest Test players. He was also England's captain for 12 Tests in 1980 and 1981. As captain of the England XI, Ian Botham is generally considered to have been unsuccessful. His tenure was brief and under his captaincy the team achieved no wins, 8 draws and 4 losses. In his defence, 9 of his matches as captain were against the best team of that era, the West Indies, who won 12 out of the next 13 Tests played against England. He was renowned as a big hitting batsman, though with a classical technique of playing straight, and as a fast medium paced swing bowler who could be very effective when atmospheric conditions favoured his style. Ian Botham holds a number of Test records as an all rounder, including being the fastest ''in terms of matches'' to achieve the "doubles" of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets, 2,000 runs and 200 wickets, and 3,000 runs and 300 wickets. He briefly held the world record for the greatest number of Test 

wickets, although his tally has subsequently been passed by several specialist bowlers. Ian Botham scored a century and took 5 wickets in an innings in the same Test match on 5 occasions, no one else has managed this feat more than twice. In 1980, playing against India, he became the first player to score a century and take ten wickets in a Test match ''Alan Davidson was the first to score 100 runs and take 10 wickets in a Test but that did not include a century''. During the 1981 Ashes, Ian Botham set a record of six sixes in a single Test Match at Old Trafford. That record remained unbroken until 7 August 2005 when Andrew Flintoff scored five in the first innings and four in the second innings of the second Test at Edgbaston, and again until 12 September 2005, when Kevin Pietersen hit seven sixes in the second innings of the last Test at The Oval. Ian Botham's One Day Internationls career included 116 matches from 1976 to 1992. He made his debut on 26 August against the West Indie sat Scarborough. He finished with a batting average of 23.21 ''nine 50, no 100, cumulative score of 2113 runs'', and a bowling average of 28.5 ''strike rate 43.24, 145 wickets in total, best figures 4-31''. Ian Botham achieved the double of making a century and his danger bowling taking 5 wickets in an innings in the same Test match 5 times. Only three other players have achieved this feat more than once. Gary Sobers, Mushtaq Mohammad and Jacques Kallis, who have each done it twice. He is the only man to have made a century and take 8 wickets in an innings in the same Test match, 108 and 8-34 against Pakistan at Lord's in 1978. Ian Botham was also the first of only two men to make a century and take 10 wickets in the same Test match, the other being Imran Khan. Ian Botham did this in the Centenary Test in Bombay in 1979-80 ''114, 6-58 and 7-48'', the last match before he became England captain. In the 25 Tests he played before he became captain he made 6 centuries and took 5 wickets in an innings 14 times, including 10 in a match 3 times.

Football Interest:

Ian Botham An occasional professional footballer as well as cricketer, Ian Botham had to choose very early in his career whether to play football or cricket. At one point during his career, in an effort to get fit after an injury, in March 1980, he joined the football club Scunthorpe United, where he played as a centre half and made 11 appearances in the Football League.

Ian Botham also had a spell at Yeovil Town. Whilst with Yeovil, Ian Botham made an appearance for the Football Association XI ''a representative side for non league footballers'' against the Northern Football League at Croft Park during the 1984-85 Years season.

Charity Programe:

Ian Botham has been a prodigious fundraiser for charitable causes, undertaking a total of 12 long distance charity walks. His first, in 1985, was a 900 mile trek from John o' Groats to Land's End. His efforts were inspired after a visit to Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital whilst receiving treatment for a broken toe, when he took a wrong turn into a children's ward, he was devastated to learn that some of the children had only weeks to live, and why. Since then, his efforts have raised more than £12 million for charity, with Leukaemia Research.

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