Cricket legend Ian Botham sells mementos from 1981 Ashes for eye-watering sum

16 July 2023 , 16:07

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Lord Botham with a stump from the legendary third Test of the 1981 Ashes (Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)

Cricket legend Ian Botham has sold prized mementos from the 1981 Ashes for more than £225,000. The famous all-rounder parted with over 240 souvenirs from his storied career at a sale held in the Long Room at the KIA Oval, Surrey’s home ground.

There was huge interest in items from “Botham’s Ashes” when he inspired England’s remarkable comeback in the series. Ben Stokes ’ men, who are currently 2-1 down to Australia, are hoping to emulate his heroics this summer.

The red cricket ball Botham took five wickets for one run to inspire England to victory in the next test match at Edgbaston sold for £20,000. The stump he ripped out of the ground after the miraculous Headingley win in the 1981 Ashes series made £11,000, while his man of the match medal for the game fetched £19,000.

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year award (Popperfoto via Getty Images)

Botham had resigned the captaincy and England were 1-0 down after two matches in the 1981 Ashes series when the teams met at Headingley, Leeds, for the third test.

The home side were forced to follow on and looked destined for a heavy defeat, with bookmakers offering odds of an England win at 500/1, when he strode to the wicket in the second innings.

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He smacked a remarkable 149 not out to set the visitors a modest target of 130 to win. The late Bob Willis charged in to take eight wickets as England pulled off one of its greatest triumphs. The Duncan Fearnley stump has been marked in ink ‘Headingley 81’ by Botham.

Botham also sold the stump he took after the Edgbaston win, which he is famously photographed holding aloft as he sprints from the field to avoid a pitch invasion.

Botham races back to the Edgbaston pavilion with a souvenir stump in his hand (PA)

It went for £7,000. Botham’s player of the season medal made £8,000, his England test blazer £1,800 and his Somerset cap £2,700.

An Australia “baggy green” cap former Australian captain Allan Border gave him fetched £13,000, while a classic England blue one day top he wore at the 1992 World Cup in Australia, where England lost in the final to Pakistan, achieved £11,000. His BBC SPOTY Lifetime award, given to him in 2004, went for £3,600.

An Australia “baggy green” cap fetched £13,000 (Popperfoto via Getty Images)

Now aged 67, “Beefy” Botham sold his treasured possessions as he is downsizing and he has decided to have a clear out. The sale was conducted by Knight’s Auctioneers, of Norwich, Norfolk.

Auctioneer Tim Knight said: “Lord Botham’s name carries that magic dust and the highlights were definitely the lots associated with the 1981 Ashes, which are known as Botham’s Ashes.

“I believe he is downsizing and moving on with his life and he’s kept hold of a few things but you can’t keep everything.

“There’s only so many grandchildren you can share things around to. “Botham is one of cricket’s greatest players, and England’s greatest all-rounder in terms of statistics alone, and that is even without taking account of his massive on-field presence, entertainment value and ‘never say die’ personality.”

Botham played 102 tests between 1977 and 1992, scoring 5,200 runs including 14 hundreds and taking 383 wickets. He has raised millions of pounds for Leukaemia charities with his walks and was knighted in 2007.

Dan Warburton