• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

40 years since Botham’s Ashes

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
The Times has a great article by Mike Atherton in which he talks with Mike Brearley about the 81 Ashes. Well worth a read. Link here:

 

sunilz

International Regular
Can't really call Stokes ashes that because Australia retained that and 2nd due to Smith.
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
Was an amazing series to follow at the time. It's interesting (albeit only mildly) how your perception of the passage of time changes. In my late 50's in 2021 the 1981 series seems like yesterday despite being 40 years ago. But in my late teens in 1981 when the BBC did a feature on the 1953 series I wondered why they were showing that ancient history - when at the time it was only 28 years previous.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Was an amazing series to follow at the time. It's interesting (albeit only mildly) how your perception of the passage of time changes. In my late 50's in 2021 the 1981 series seems like yesterday despite being 40 years ago. But in my late teens in 1981 when the BBC did a feature on the 1953 series I wondered why they were showing that ancient history - when at the time it was only 28 years previous.
I often feel like that. As a 9 year old I bought the 66 final on video. That was 1993. It seemed ancient and it’s quite hard to accept that I was closer to 1966 then than I am to 1993 now.
 

quincywagstaff

International Debutant
Botham's heroics were even more remarkable considering the side was largely a mess throughout this series.

Two captains, three different keepers, the likes of Gower & Gooch having dreadful series, none of the pacemen that backed up Botham & Willis took many wickets. but because of Botham it was Australia that were a shambles by series end.
 

tony p

First Class Debutant
I remember listening to this on radio in bed as a 14 year old in Tasmania. My schoolwork suffered quite badly due to lack of sleep.
However Border batted almost twice as well as all our other players, and as he was and still is my favourite all time player, I survived the carnage.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Botham's heroics were even more remarkable considering the side was largely a mess throughout this series.

Two captains, three different keepers, the likes of Gower & Gooch having dreadful series, none of the pacemen that backed up Botham & Willis took many wickets. but because of Botham it was Australia that were a shambles by series end.
Lol yep. Lillee and Alderman took 80 odd wickets between them that series. Crazy stats for two bowlers on a losing side
 

Nintendo

Cricketer Of The Year
Unrelated, but mention of alderman got me thinking. Who's the better test bowler between starc and him based on current standings?
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
I remember listening to this on radio in bed as a 14 year old in Tasmania. My schoolwork suffered quite badly due to lack of sleep.
However Border batted almost twice as well as all our other players, and as he was and still is my favourite all time player, I survived the carnage.
Just a small personal side story to this. In those days if a team was chasing 130 you never quite believed you were going to win even if there were a few hiccups along the way. Australia were fifty odd for one when Willis took three quick wickets, but even at 60 odd for four you're still assuming it's not quite going to happen. Then Chris Old bowled Allan Border and I suddenly said we were going to win. It was his only wicket and one overlooked amongst the Botham and Willis mayhem, but it seemed really decisive in the moment.
 

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Was an amazing series to follow at the time. It's interesting (albeit only mildly) how your perception of the passage of time changes. In my late 50's in 2021 the 1981 series seems like yesterday despite being 40 years ago. But in my late teens in 1981 when the BBC did a feature on the 1953 series I wondered why they were showing that ancient history - when at the time it was only 28 years previous.
I feel like culture hasn't shifted as drastically from the '80s to now as it did from the '50s to the '80s. Just feel like things have stagnated a bit since 2000
 

Flem274*

123/5
Unrelated, but mention of alderman got me thinking. Who's the better test bowler between starc and him based on current standings?
not sure you get a medium fast swing bowler like alderman in the australian test side anymore. since the 00s it has been all about how hard you hit the deck.
 

Moss

International Vice-Captain
not sure you get a medium fast swing bowler like alderman in the australian test side anymore. since the 00s it has been all about how hard you hit the deck.
Think Hilfenhaus fits that category, but probably quicker than Alderman based on what I've seen.
 

Moss

International Vice-Captain
Just a small personal side story to this. In those days if a team was chasing 130 you never quite believed you were going to win even if there were a few hiccups along the way. Australia were fifty odd for one when Willis took three quick wickets, but even at 60 odd for four you're still assuming it's not quite going to happen. Then Chris Old bowled Allan Border and I suddenly said we were going to win. It was his only wicket and one overlooked amongst the Botham and Willis mayhem, but it seemed really decisive in the moment.
Lillee and Marsh actually bet against Australia winning right? Can only imagine how that would have gone down post 2000.

That Bob Willis spell looked quite fearsome in the highlights package. There's a great photo of him running back to the pavillion after taking the final wicket with spectators all around him, looking like he's staring right through the cameraman as if possessed.
 

Top