The summer of 1981 was one of the most memorable ever in the world of sport even without a football being kicked thanks to Botham’s Ashes and the ongoing rivalries taking place between Borg and McEnroe in tennis and Coe and Ovett in athletics.

Benaud one of the great commentators. Appreciated great players whatever their nationality.

"Its gone straight into the confectionary stall and out again". Thanks Rich

Watching the Headingly test was indeed a test, the return of Brearley after being two-down against the Aussies seemed a hopeless task. Botham came in and his form with the bat having been what it was, we all went out and played a 9-hole round of golf, as it was a nice sunny day and the inevitable was only a matter of time. We returned and thought if we switched on the telly, it would have been all over and we would watch the film(s) the BBC would show in the event the test finished early. No. Botham was still there. Wait... What? We sat, we gawped, registering controlled run-making. That man Botham.... Unbelievably, he and Graham Dilley gave the England bowlers something to bowl at and Bob was the man possessed. Two days of incredible cricket I shall never forget, and thank heavens for the highlights making up for our three hours golfing absence, and for which we all felt we'd been rather disloyal to England.

R.I.P. Bob Willis. As cutting with a comment as he was devastating with a ball. Willis and Botham's '81 Ashes.

I am privileged to have been at Old Trafford to see Ian Botham in action in 1981

I remember the Headingly test well. I was an 11 year old kid and was playing with my dinky toy cars in the garden with a friend. Then my mum ran out and said, 'Quick boys! Get in and watch the cricket! Botham's hitting the Aussies all over the ground!' I ran in to watch it and became a cricket fan and I've loved the game ever since.

I listened to these games on a radio in New Delhi, totally captivated. The highlights reel would be flown out a day or two later and played in a packed hall at the British High Commission. Fairytale stuff.

Ian Botham is One of the best all rounder. Loved watching his bowling and batting!

Great upload. I had this on video cassette and it was stolen in a burglary! Great to see Richie and Sir Ian chatting away

I was 16 and spent my entire school holidays in the "front room" watching this Test series !!! My mum would occasionally pop her head round the door with a Cornetto ice cream as I was glued to the set, then used to watch the Ritchie Benaud hosted series highlights at 10ish in the evening ! lol happy days

Great Botham, actually in their own day all 4s are great, what an era, Botham,Hadley, kapil and Botham, all best for ever.

Undoubtedly My biggest Hero, an absolute inspiration in all forms of the game. Sir Ian as he is now known, I met him at a doo in London and he was as inspiring there with his words as he was with bat and ball for his county and country. Thank you ITB

Botham and Willis. Willis and Botham. Childhood heroes. Frozen in time for me. I'll never forget.

Can I just say thank you for uploading the BBC cricketing VHS is that came out I used to collect these. A lot of them have now being discarded but thanks to KZfaq and yourself you kept them and uploaded them thank you. I didn't think I'll be seeing these again.

29:17 CMJ: “This man who has become, once again a national hero”. Perfect observation for that moment.

Bob Willis rest in peace

I had this video with the quirky ident. Brilliant.

Peter Willey is a hard man. Even Botham didn't mess with him.

This will go down in history as a series to remember. I was eleven and about to leave junior school at the time. Wish I had seen it actually happen.

Watching at 18:33 showed what a great commentator that the late great Richie Benaud as he did not attack Trevor Chappell for not stopping the boundary,, just the realisation that sometimes things happen in the middle of a match, and stated that it was bad luck. Also what is not noted that Dennis Lillee was in 1981 in the form of his career, as he played in all Thirteen Test Matches that Australia played during that calendar year and took Eighty Five Wickets in that year, and that included one test where he did not take any wickets.

Honestly, Bob Willis doesn't get enough credit. Botham dragged them out from an impossible situation, but Bob Willis at Headingly was legendary.

This is a fabulous video btw, so grateful for the upload.

More than 4 decades on - no sporting achievement by any one individual in a team sport has equalled this.

What glorious times!

When Ian is talking to Richie the similarity in looks and demeanour to Ben Stokes is not too distant.

Back when folks in England followed cricket keenly

I remembr this match watching on tv live in pakistan .

What a time all rownder like botham imran , Hedly kapil playing in same erra .

25:10 What a magnificent stroke.

There was some good players in that side gower,gatts,the immaculate bob taylor who makes keeping look so easy

Like Neil Hutchinson : I cannot separate Botham and Willis in this test match. They were both fired up to the point of war. Willis was knocking over the Aussie wickets with no even a grin.

500/1 :) good old beefy and Bob. RIP Bob Willis

19:38 Beautiful stroke.

9:43 Play at quarter speed on the settings. 25% speed. Absolutely beautiful bowling run up and action. DK.

Tough years for Aussie cricket.

Dear Botham, you are one of the Gratest All Rounder, what a skill you have. As a cricket fan, I need to see All rounders like Grate Alexdar Vivian Richards, Richard Hadlee, and our Indian Gratest Kapil Devji. Champions like see score board, they want to win Matches. The selfish example are Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Sastri, Dilip Vengsarkar, Vinod Kambli, and a few more selfish Chappathy shot players.

Good old Jim Laker, what a wonderful way to go to a six!

There's, only one Ian Botham.

I used to have the BBC radio commentary on and mute the telly as preferred the radio commentary

Married to cricket

0:00 BBC Video logo 1981-1988 with marching band fanfare

Old cricket is much better than this money making trash of today!!

8:34 didn’t even look at the umpire. Just walked, the good old days

Not to mention botham was the best

I'm here in August 2019 after Ben Stokes Ashes display. Which one is the best?

15:32 Tease of the century by CMJ.

It was the time Ian botham Sir richard Hadley Kapil Dev Gary gilmer, All are contemparies .just all are Oustanding.

Don't forget Geoff boycott 45 in the second innings he was there for a long time holding up one end

1:05:33 Richie Benaud off his face if you play at quarter pace. At least one of you will enjoy it.

1981 is year of the human league soft cell Adam and the ants and Phil Collins was in the charts and Ian Botham won the ashes for England

To me englands best all round at present.

I got this on vhs for 20p from a charity shop

Dilley could bat but never recaptured the form of '81. Like quite a few tailenders he showed promise but it was never fulfilled.

Alegend

England about to secure the Ashes and Old Trafford only half full.

powerful guy the gorilla beefy otherwise known botham very confident lot of self belief he got a lotta bad press for his wrong doin bad antics off field and no hooray henry very down to earth. In the 1980s i remember it was very funny rude where he told nuisance pain in the butt photographer what he would do with his camera when press cameraman thrust camera in bothams face when cricketers came off field very funny

32:15

The Indiian Ex All rounder, Ravi Sastri was a champion of champiion. I didn't understood, he is neither a good bowler nor an attacking batsman like Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee.

After Ben stock

are the 4 thumbs downs from down under?

NO helmet!

Need a helmet Beefy?. Nah, i"m good.

How did Australia ever pick G Wood? Horrible

Drunk all the time that's what happened

it almost shows that dk backed england bowling shit

Sir Ian Botham, no offense sir but you have been officially replaced by Benjamin Stokes.

- inconsistent bat - average 30’s - couldn’t play well on a turning deck - average field - overweight - poor runner between wickets - mainly a 4th / 5th bowler - couldn’t bowl a team out - most wickets were tailenders - couldn’t reverse swing - poor leader - pot smoker - goes missing in games

Fluke

More fat than muscle - never lifted any weights and it showed . A lot of players have his talent /stats . A very inconsistent player. When he was on, he was ON, but that was rare . Aussie players made a lot of cash by Botham’s 1 career defining test, via the ground bookies A poor leader - wouldn’t go to him for tactics on field . Looking back, he was slightly above average bowling all rounder . No, Keith “Fighter Pilot” Miller (who actually did fight a war) . His bowling was impressive at times , but he took mostly garbage time wickets as a 4th / 5th bowler . I have seen Botham get belted around the park more than often than not . High with blood shot eyes. His record would be better if not stoned Batting average in the 30’s. = average bat He would score the occasional century or bag a few tailender wickets . Only peaked for a couple of years . Look at it realistically !!! Yes, a good long career, slightly better bowler than bat - didn’t take many top 6 order wickets , mostly tailend batters Struggled on turning wickets Why were most English players - overweight ? Took England too long to realise that fitness is important - hence the 1990s Gooch (AKA - LBW Alderman)/ Gatting / Lamb / Botham etc etc . Larwood / Willis / Dilly and Tyson are the only decent quicks produced . John Embury the spinner - laughable If Botham is in the all time England side? Bradman, Gilchrist , Waugh, McGrath, Lillee and Warne would beat that team alone. (By an innings) Botham is only in my 80s English Team Compare an all time best Best AusX1 against an England all time XI. - Australia 🇦🇺 would easily win by an innings . Warne / McGrath/Lillee / O’Reilly, would destroy any side on any wicket Botham, A better commentator than player A very good commentator !!!! . Do not compare a sports man to a first responder / soldier etc who have seen action. Sportsman are not heroes , they perform for glory