188 Facts About Ian Botham

1.

Ian Botham played most of his first-class cricket for Somerset, at other times competing for Worcestershire, Durham and Queensland.

2.

Ian Botham was an aggressive right-handed batsman and, as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, was noted for his swing bowling.

3.

Ian Botham generally fielded close to the wicket, predominantly in the slips.

4.

In Test cricket, Ian Botham scored 14 centuries with a highest score of 208, and from 1986 to 1988 held the world record for the most Test wickets until overtaken by fellow all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee.

5.

Ian Botham took five wickets in an innings 27 times, and 10 wickets in a match four times.

6.

Ian Botham has at times been involved in controversies, including a highly publicised court case involving rival all-rounder Imran Khan and an ongoing dispute with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

7.

Ian Botham has used his fame to raise money for research into childhood leukaemia.

8.

In July 2020, it was announced that Ian Botham would be elevated to the House of Lords and that he would sit as a crossbench peer.

9.

Ian Botham has a wide range of sporting interests outside cricket.

10.

Ian Botham was a talented footballer at school and had to choose between cricket and football as a career.

11.

Ian Botham chose cricket but, even so, he played professional football for a few seasons and made eleven appearances in the Football League for Scunthorpe United, becoming the club's president in 2017.

12.

Ian Botham is a keen golfer, and his other pastimes include angling and shooting.

13.

Ian Botham has been awarded both a knighthood and a life peerage.

14.

Ian Botham was born in Heswall, Cheshire, to Herbert Leslie Botham and Violet Marie, nee Collett.

15.

Ian Botham's father had been in the Fleet Air Arm for twenty years spanning the Second World War; his mother was a nurse.

16.

Ian Botham attended Milford Junior School in the town, and his "love affair" with sport began there.

17.

Ian Botham played both cricket and football for the school's teams at the age of nine, two years earlier than most of his contemporaries.

18.

Ian Botham's father recalled that though he never got to bowl, and rarely got to bat, he received praise for the standard of his fielding.

19.

Ian Botham joined the Boys' Brigade where more sporting opportunities were available.

20.

Ian Botham went on to Bucklers Mead Comprehensive School in Yeovil, where he continued to do well in sport and played for the school's cricket and football teams.

21.

Ian Botham became captain of their under-16 cricket team when he was thirteen.

22.

Two years later, Ian Botham had the opportunity to choose between football and cricket: Bert Head, manager of Crystal Palace offered him apprentice forms with the First Division club.

23.

Ian Botham already had a contract with Somerset and, after discussing the offer with his father, decided to continue to pursue a cricket career, as he believed he was a better cricketer.

24.

In 1972, at the age of 16, Ian Botham left school intent on playing cricket for Somerset, who retained his contract but felt he was too young to justify a full professional deal.

25.

Ian Botham received coaching and plenty of time in the practice nets, and was often the first to arrive and the last to leave practice.

26.

In one such match against "Scotland A", the MCC Young Cricketers used eight bowlers in their second innings, but Ian Botham was not among them.

27.

Ian Botham had done well for the Second XI and he later acknowledged the help and advice he received from Somerset players Peter Robinson, Graham Burgess and Ken Palmer.

28.

Ian Botham made his senior debut, aged 17, for Somerset on Sunday, 2 September 1973 when he played in a List A John Player League match against Sussex at the County Ground, Hove.

29.

Ian Botham did impress by taking a diving catch to dismiss his future England colleague Tony Greig off the bowling of his captain Brian Close.

30.

Ian Botham had his first bowling success when he dismissed Geoff Howarth lbw.

31.

In summary, Ian Botham scored four runs, took one wicket for 14 and held one catch.

32.

Ian Botham batted at number seven and scored 13 before being caught.

33.

Ian Botham bowled only three overs and his figures were none for 15; he held one catch to dismiss Jack Simmons.

34.

Ian Botham was number nine in Somerset's batting order and came in with his team struggling at 113 for 7.

35.

Ian Botham was facing the West Indian fast bowler Andy Roberts who delivered a bouncer which hit him in the mouth.

36.

Ian Botham hit two sixes and made 45*, enabling Somerset to win by one wicket.

37.

Ian Botham made 59 in Somerset's first innings against Middlesex at Taunton, the highest individual score in a low-scoring match which Somerset won by 73 runs.

38.

Ian Botham took seven in the match which Somerset won by 179 runs, largely thanks to Close who scored 59 and 114*.

39.

Ian Botham showed great promise in 1974, his first full season in which Somerset finished fifth in the County Championship and a close second to Leicestershire in the JPL.

40.

In 18 first-class appearances, Ian Botham scored 441 runs with a highest of 59, took 30 first-class wickets with a best of five for 59 and held 15 catches.

41.

Ian Botham played in 18 List A matches too, scoring 222 runs with a highest of 45*, took 12 wickets with a best of two for 16 and held four catches.

42.

Ian Botham played in 22 first-class and 23 List A matches so it was a busy season for him.

43.

Ian Botham took 62 wickets, doubling his 1974 tally, with a best of five for 69, his only 5wI that season.

44.

Ian Botham took 32 wickets with a best of three for 34.

45.

Ian Botham totalled 1,022 first-class runs in 20 matches with a highest of 167*, his first-ever century and he scored six half-centuries.

46.

Ian Botham had four 5wI and, for the first time, ten wickets in a match.

47.

Ian Botham played in a total of 22 List A matches, including the two for England, scoring 395 runs with a highest of 46.

48.

Ian Botham took 33 wickets with a best of four for 41.

49.

Batting first, Somerset scored 333 for seven and then, thanks to six for 25 by Ian Botham, bowled out Gloucestershire for only 79.

50.

Ian Botham took five for 125 in the second innings for a match analysis of 11 for 150, his maiden 10wM.

51.

Ian Botham scored his maiden first-class century at Trent Bridge on Tuesday 3 August 1976 in the County Championship game against Nottinghamshire who won the toss and decided to bat first.

52.

At 40 for two and with both their openers gone, Brian Close changed his batting order and summoned Botham to come in at number four.

53.

Ian Botham was number seven in the batting order and came in at 136 for five to join Graham Barlow.

54.

Ian Botham scored only one before he was caught by Roy Fredericks off the bowling of his future Sky Sports colleague Michael Holding.

55.

Ian Botham had the consolation of taking his first international wicket when he had Lawrence Rowe caught by Mike Hendrick for 10.

56.

Ian Botham bowled only three overs and took some punishment from Richards, his return being one for 26.

57.

Ian Botham bowled three very expensive overs, conceding 31 runs, but he did manage to bowl out Michael Holding for his second international wicket.

58.

Ian Botham again batted at number seven and made a good start, scoring 20 at a run a ball, but he was then caught by Bernard Julien off Fredericks and England were 151 for seven with only Knott and the tailenders left.

59.

Ian Botham produced a number of good batting and bowling performances for Somerset in 1977 and these impressed the Test selectors who included him in the team for the third Test against Australia at Trent Bridge, starting on 28 July.

60.

Ian Botham took 22 more wickets, including two 5wI, in the next three County Championship games before his Test debut.

61.

Ian Botham's batting was not quite as good as in 1976 as his average was down but he scored 738 runs with a highest of 114, which was his sole century, and five half-centuries.

62.

Ian Botham made his Test debut at Trent Bridge on 28 July 1977 in the third Test against Australia.

63.

Ian Botham's debut was somewhat overshadowed by the return from self-imposed Test exile of Geoffrey Boycott.

64.

Ian Botham came in at number eight on day three and scored 25 before he was bowled by Max Walker.

65.

Ian Botham had no joy in Australia's second innings with none for 60.

66.

Ian Botham's impressive bowling at Trent Bridge meant he was an automatic choice for the fourth Test at Headingley two weeks later.

67.

Ian Botham was bowled third ball by Ray Bright without scoring.

68.

Ian Botham made amends with the ball by taking five for 21 in only eleven overs, Australia being bowled out for only 103.

69.

The follow-on was enforced and Australia this time made 248, but Ian Botham did not take a wicket.

70.

Ian Botham was injured during the second innings when he accidentally trod on the ball and broke a bone in his foot.

71.

Ian Botham was unable to play again in the 1977 season.

72.

Ian Botham's promising start as Test player resulted in two awards.

73.

Importantly, the foot injury was a broken toe sustained when he trod on the ball at Headingley and Ian Botham subsequently needed treatment for it at his local hospital in Taunton.

74.

Ian Botham was almost fully recovered from his foot injury but did not play in any of the Tests.

75.

Ian Botham took part in all three LOIs and in some of the first-class matches against club teams.

76.

Ian Botham impressed in a first-class match against Canterbury at Lancaster Park, scoring 126 not out in the second innings against an attack including Richard Hadlee and was selected for the first Test at Basin Reserve.

77.

Ian Botham had an indifferent game there and England, twice bowled out by Hadlee, lost by 72 runs.

78.

England won the second Test at Lancaster Park by 174 runs after an outstanding all-round performance by Ian Botham who scored 103 and 30 not out and took five for 73 and three for 38.

79.

Against New Zealand, Ian Botham did little with the bat but his bowling was outstanding.

80.

Ian Botham took 23 wickets at 24.65 with a best return of four for 42.

81.

Ian Botham scored 291 runs with a highest of 74 at 29.10.

82.

Ian Botham played for England in the 1979 Cricket World Cup and was a member of their losing team in the final.

83.

Ian Botham was again an infrequent member of the Somerset team because of the World Cup and the Test series against India.

84.

Ian Botham played in the Gillette Cup final at Lord's, in which they defeated Northamptonshire by 45 runs, thanks to a century by Viv Richards.

85.

Ian Botham scored 33 and then took two for 86 and five for 70.

86.

Ian Botham was a member of the England team and played in all three matches which, rightly or wrongly, count towards his Test statistics.

87.

Australia won all three matches of a series best forgotten for all its attendant politics, but Ian Botham had enhanced his reputation as a world-class all-rounder.

88.

India won the toss and decided to bat first but, with Ian Botham taking six for 58, they were all out on day one for 242.

89.

When Ian Botham was out near the end of day two, the score was 229 for six and England reached 232 for six at close of play, still ten runs behind.

90.

Ian Botham was the outstanding performer again, taking seven for 48 which gave him match figures of thirteen for 106.

91.

Mike Brearley announced his retirement from Test cricket after the Jubilee Test in Bombay and, somewhat surprisingly given his lack of captaincy experience, Ian Botham was appointed to replace him as England's captain for the forthcoming home series against West Indies, who were at the time the world's outstanding team.

92.

Ian Botham led England in twelve Tests in 1980 and 1981 but he was unsuccessful, the team achieving no wins, eight draws and four defeats under his leadership.

93.

Ian Botham had a poor season as a bowler and, in all first-class cricket, took just 40 wickets at the high average of 34.67 with a best return of only four for 38.

94.

Ian Botham did better as a batsman, scoring 1,149 runs at 42.55: but this did not translate to form in the Tests.

95.

Ian Botham completed two centuries and six other half-centuries for his county.

96.

Apart from an innings of 57 in the first Test, Ian Botham contributed little to England in the series and that innings was the only time he reached 50 in all his twelve Tests as England captain.

97.

Ian Botham led England on the controversial tour of the West Indies from January to April 1981.

98.

Ian Botham took the most wickets for England, but Wisden said "his bowling never recovered the full rhythm of a year before".

99.

Ian Botham was replaced by the returning Mike Brearley, who had been his predecessor until retiring from Test cricket in 1980.

100.

Ian Botham continued to play for England under Brearley and achieved the highpoint of his career in the next three Tests as England recovered to win The Ashes.

101.

Ian Botham was the only batsman to perform at all well and scored 50, which was his first Test half-century since he had been awarded the captaincy thirteen Tests earlier.

102.

Australia, with plenty of time remaining, needed 130 to win and were generally expected to get them; but after Ian Botham took the first wicket, Willis took 8 for 43 to dismiss Australia for only 111.

103.

The last Test at The Oval was drawn, Ian Botham achieving a 10wM by taking six for 125 and four for 128.

104.

Ian Botham was named Man of the Series after scoring 399 runs, taking 34 wickets and holding 12 catches.

105.

Ian Botham took no wickets but provided Viv Richards with good support in the run chase.

106.

Ian Botham ended the season with 67 wickets at 25.55, a best return of six for 90 and one 10wM.

107.

Ian Botham scored 925 runs with a highest of 149* at 42.04; and held 19 catches.

108.

Ian Botham played for England in the 1983 Cricket World Cup and was a member of their losing team in the semi-final.

109.

Ian Botham took 66 wickets at the low average of 22.98 with a best return of five for 46.

110.

Ian Botham scored two centuries against India: 128 at Old Trafford and his career high 208 at The Oval.

111.

Ian Botham played in nine first-class matches and scored only 434 runs at the low average of 24.11 with a highest of 65.

112.

Ian Botham was no better with the ball, taking just 29 wickets for a too-high 35.62 with a best return of four for 43.

113.

Ian Botham did field well and held 17 catches, nearly two a match.

114.

Ian Botham had a good season with the bat, scoring 852 runs in his 14 first-class matches at 40.57 with a highest score of 152 among three centuries.

115.

Ian Botham did less well with the ball: only 22 wickets at the high average of 33.09.

116.

Ian Botham did little with the ball, the same story as in his whole season, but he did score a century in the final Test at Trent Bridge.

117.

Apart from one innings at Basin Reserve in the first Test against New Zealand, Ian Botham was a disappointment on this tour, especially as a bowler.

118.

Ian Botham scored 138 in the first Test, sharing in a sixth wicket partnership of 232 with Derek Randall, but the match was drawn.

119.

Ian Botham left Pakistan after the first Test there, the one England lost, to have a knee problem investigated at home.

120.

Ian Botham played in 18 Tests from 1984 to 1986, ten of them against West Indies.

121.

The first day was rain-affected and England, 167 for two overnight, scored 286 thanks to a century by Graeme Fowler; Ian Botham scored a useful 30.

122.

West Indies lost three quick wickets, all of them to Ian Botham who was a "reminder of his old self" in the words of Wisden, but recovered to reach 119 for three at the close of play on day two.

123.

England began their second innings and had been reduced to 88 for four when Ian Botham joined Allan Lamb.

124.

Ian Botham bowled the most overs, 20, and with nought for 117 he conceded almost a run a ball.

125.

Ian Botham played in the one-off Test against Sri Lanka: not bowling particularly well in the first innings although he took the first wicket, and being dismissed for 6 as England batted.

126.

In 1985, Botham played in all six Tests against a poor Australian team as England, themselves a second-rate team based on their recent performances, comfortably regained the Ashes and he was the leading wicket-taker, but the series was dominated by England's specialist batsmen, especially Mike Gatting and David Gower.

127.

Ian Botham scored 250 runs at 31.25 with a highest of 85.

128.

Ian Botham did take the most wickets but he was rarely impressive and he was bowling to a weak batting side, Allan Border apart.

129.

Ian Botham was suspended for 63 days by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 1986 after he admitted in an interview that he had smoked cannabis.

130.

Ian Botham made his mark on that Test though: beginning it by taking the wicket of Bruce Edgar with his very first delivery, to go level with Dennis Lillee on 355 as holder of the world record for Test wickets.

131.

Ian Botham went past the mark in his second over to hold the record outright, by trapping Crowe leg-before.

132.

Ian Botham was succeeded by Peter Roebuck as Somerset captain for 1986 but, during the season, tensions arose in the Somerset dressing room which eventually exploded into a full-scale row and resulted in the sacking by the club of Ian Botham's friends Viv Richards and Joel Garner.

133.

Ian Botham, who supported Richards and Garner, decided to resign at the end of the season.

134.

Ian Botham played in four Tests and England won the Ashes for the last time until 2005.

135.

Wisden pointed out that although Ian Botham had a modest series statistically, "he was an asset to the side" because of his enthusiasm and "going out of his way to encourage younger players, especially Phil DeFreitas".

136.

Ian Botham played in the five 1987 Tests against Pakistan, the last time he represented England in a full series.

137.

Ian Botham scored 232 runs in the series with one half-century at 33.14; and took only seven wickets which were enormously expensive.

138.

Ian Botham declined to go on tour with England the following winter, either for the 1987 World Cup in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka or for the subsequent tours of Pakistan and New Zealand.

139.

Ian Botham scored several half-centuries and took a reasonable number of wickets and helped Queensland make the Sheffield Shield final.

140.

Ian Botham was unfit for most of the 1988 season and played in only four first-class and seven limited overs matches during April and May He did not play for England.

141.

Ian Botham was out of action for eleven months, having had an operation to fuse vertebrae in his spine in response to a long-standing back problem.

142.

Ian Botham returned in May 1989 and, bowling well in the County Championship, helped Worcestershire to a second successive title.

143.

Ian Botham could do little to stem a tide which had now turned completely in Australia's favour and looked completely out of his depth.

144.

The summer of 1989 saw more controversy for England with the organisation of a rebel tour to South Africa, all participants being banned for three years: Ian Botham declined the rebel tour, hoping to be selected for the winter tour of the West Indies, only to be dropped for his poor form.

145.

Ian Botham was selected for the early-season ODI series at first: he took a wicket in his first over, and four in his ten-over spell, but later tore a hamstring, going for a quick single while batting.

146.

Ian Botham could have retired hurt, but opted to continue with a runner, only to be dismissed by the next delivery.

147.

Ian Botham was recalled for the 5th Test with England needing a victory to tie the series: batting in the first innings, he scored a respectable 31 before attempting to hook Curtly Ambrose and being dismissed "hit wicket", in circumstances which caused an infamous giggling fit in the BBC Test Match Special radio commentary box.

148.

Ian Botham had not previously won any man of the match awards in the World Cup, but in this competition he won two.

149.

Ian Botham captured two wickets and one of them was Sachin Tendulkar.

150.

Against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground later in the competition, Ian Botham won the award for the sort of all-round performance which had made his reputation.

151.

Ian Botham was less successful in the final, where previously economical bowling figures were ruined by a late assault from the Pakistani batting line-up, and then he was given out caught-behind for a duck in Wasim Akram's first over, England losing the match.

152.

In 1992, Ian Botham joined County Championship newcomers Durham, scoring a century in the second innings in their inaugural first-class match against Leicestershire: and he played in the first two Tests against Pakistan, the second one at Lord's being his final Test appearance.

153.

Ian Botham scored 2 and 6, cheaply dismissed each time by the pace of Waqar Younis.

154.

England's batting was so dominant in all but one of the matches, that Ian Botham only came in right at the end of the innings, or not at all, reverting to his old place in the middle order, and he had little to do: except in the 4th match, where he opened the batting again and scored a respectable and workmanlike 40, but saw England lose their last four wickets for ten runs and the match by three runs.

155.

Ian Botham's bowling was similarly unremarkable, usually capturing one or two wickets at about four an over: he neither scored a run nor took a wicket in his final match.

156.

Ian Botham scored 5,200 runs at an average of 33.54 with a highest score of 208 in his 14 centuries.

157.

Ian Botham took 383 wickets at an average of 28.40 with a best return of eight for 34 and achieved ten wickets in a match four times.

158.

Ian Botham did have some outstanding LOI matches winning six man of the match awards.

159.

Ian Botham took part in three editions of the Cricket World Cup: 1979,1983 and 1992.

160.

Ian Botham played in 22 World Cup matches including the finals in 1979 and 1992, both of which England lost, and he was in England's losing team in the 1983 semi-final.

161.

Ian Botham was the 21st player to achieve the "double" of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test cricket and he went on to score 5,200 runs and take 383 wickets, as well as holding 120 catches.

162.

Ian Botham held the world record for the greatest number of Test wickets from 21 August 1986 to 12 November 1988.

163.

Ian Botham's predecessor was Dennis Lillee who had retired with 355 wickets in 70 matches.

164.

Ian Botham extended the record to 373 in 94 matches before he was overtaken by Richard Hadlee.

165.

Ian Botham ended with 383 wickets in 102 matches while Hadlee extended the record to 431 in 86 matches.

166.

Ian Botham was the first to score a century and take ten wickets in a Test match.

167.

Since the Second World War, Ian Botham is one of perhaps a dozen or so world-class all-rounders whereas there have been numerous world-class specialists.

168.

The genuine all-rounders to achieve world-class status during the era, besides Ian Botham himself, have included Keith Miller, Richie Benaud, Mike Procter, Clive Rice, Imran Khan, Kapil Dev and Andrew Flintoff.

169.

Wisden has commented on another shared characteristic: "outstanding courage", mainly because Botham would readily field anywhere, generally in the slips but in dangerous positions near the batsman and he was a brilliant fielder.

170.

Ian Botham summarised Botham as an exciting cricketer who lacked self-discipline.

171.

Ian Botham was in the middle of his career when the book was published, but Lewis emphasised the speed at which Ian Botham had achieved certain milestones such as 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test cricket.

172.

In 1994, the year after he retired, Ian Botham became embroiled in a legal dispute with Imran Khan who, in an article for India Today, had accused Ian Botham and Allan Lamb of bringing cricket into disrepute.

173.

Ian Botham was liable for all expenses in the court case in the ruling, including those incurred by Khan.

174.

Ian Botham was a talented footballer but, believing he was better at cricket, he chose the latter for his full-time career.

175.

Ian Botham made eleven appearances in the Football League for Scunthorpe.

176.

Ian Botham has been a prodigious fundraiser for charitable causes, undertaking a total of 12 long-distance charity walks.

177.

Ian Botham's first, in 1985, was a 900-mile trek from John o' Groats to Land's End.

178.

Ian Botham's efforts were inspired after a visit to Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital in 1977 whilst receiving treatment for a broken toe.

179.

On 10 October 2007, Ian Botham was invested a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, having been appointed in the Queen's Birthday Honours "for services to Charity and to Cricket".

180.

On 9 August 2009, while commentating on the fourth Ashes Test at Headingley that season, Ian Botham was invited to take part in an on-field ceremony to induct him into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame along with the Yorkshire greats Wilfred Rhodes, Fred Trueman and Geoffrey Boycott.

181.

Ian Botham was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1981 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews during a meeting at Lord's.

182.

Ian Botham was nominated for a life peerage in the 2020 Political Honours.

183.

Ian Botham was created Baron Botham, of Ravensworth in the County of North Yorkshire on 10 September and took the oath and his seat on 5 October 2020.

184.

In 1976, in Doncaster, Ian Botham married Kathryn Waller whom he first met in June 1974.

185.

The family now live in Ravensworth in North Yorkshire, and own property in Almeria, where Ian Botham frequently plays golf.

186.

Ian Botham has been a team captain on the BBC series A Question of Sport.

187.

Besides angling and golf, Ian Botham enjoys game shooting and owns a grouse moor.

188.

Ian Botham was a staunch supporter of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.