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1978: Botham bowls into cricket history
 Cricketing star Ian Botham has become the first man in the history of the game to score a century and take eight wickets in one innings of a Test match.

The Somerset all-rounder's blistering performance helped bring England victory by an innings and 120 runs in the second Cornhill Test.

He hit 108 runs in England's first innings and today took eight wickets for just 34 runs to contribute to Pakistan's second innings total of all out for 139.

In fact, Tony Greig is the only other England player to score a century and take more than five wickets in an innings. He hit 143 runs and took six wickets for 164 against the West Indies at Bridgetown, Barbados, in 1974.

Botham was just unplayable
Pakistan captain Wasim Bari
England captain Mike Brearley said of Botham's performance: "He is colossus at the moment."

Botham made his Test debut at the age of 21 against Australia at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, in July last year.

In that match, he took five wickets for 74 runs to help bowl out the opposition for 243. His wife Kathryn, who was eight months pregnant with the couple's first child, was in the spectator stands.

Today at Trent Bridge, it was Botham's swinging deliveries which managed to beat his Pakistani opponents.

Afterwards, Pakistan captain Wasim Bari said: "I have never seen a ball swing so much in bright weather...Botham was just unplayable."

The Pakistan team includes many players new to Test cricket and unused to English weather conditions.

Bari continued: "England bowled better, batted better and fielded better than we did. And this man Botham is a magnificent cricketer."

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Ian Botham
Ian Botham took eight wickets for just 34 runs

Botham's 8-wicket haul


In Context
Ian Botham went on to become one of England's greatest ever all-rounders.

Perhaps his best performance was in the 1981 Ashes series against Australia. After a poor run of results ending with a draw in the second Test, he resigned the England captaincy.

England were one down and facing almost certain defeat in the third Test at Headingley. Botham saved the match, England ended up winning the series three-one, and the all-rounder's legendary status was assured.

He played in 102 Test matches in a career spanning from 1977-92. His highest-ever batting score was 208 - his best performance with the ball was eight wickets for 34 runs.

Since retiring from the game, he has become a television commentator and in 2003 became an adviser to his old county team of Somerset.

He has also walked thousands of miles raising money for Leukaemia Research and more recently for The Noah's Ark appeal which is building a children's hospital in Wales.

His son, Liam, played county cricket for Hampshire in 1996 but has since taken up professional rugby.

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1978: Botham bowls into cricket history
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BBC Sport >>
0 The Ashes
In depth report includes Botham's 1981 series


BBC News >>
0 7 April 2003
Botham walks Wales valleys for hospital


 
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