Famous Cricketers No 83 - Ian Botham

55. Somerset v Nottinghamshire, Trent Bridge, July 31, August 2, 3 (Somerset won by six wickets) c N.Nanan b R.A.White 80 304-8c 14 2 59 1 S.B.Hassan b 364-4c not out 167 302-4 13 4 16 1 C.E.B.Rice c V.J.Marks 240-9d 56. Somerset v Lancashire, Weston-super-Mare, August 7, 9, 10 (Lancashire won by 99 runs) c H.Pilling b J.Simmons 25 138 7 1 22 2 H.Pilling lbw 119 1 J.Abrahams b c H.Pilling b R.M.Ratcliffe 6 196 2 0 6 0 314 57. Somerset v Glamorgan, Weston-super-Mare, August 11, 12 (Somerset won by an innings and 34 runs) c A.W.Allin b G.D.Armstrong 23 337 14 4 49 3 D.A.Francis b 152 1 G.Richards c G.I.Burgess M.A.Nash c D.J.S.Taylor 6 2 15 0 151 1 58. Somerset v Kent, Taunton, August 21, 23, 24 (Somerset won by ten wickets) retired hurt 12 379-8c 8 3 26 0 278 did not bat - 103-0 - - - - 203 59. Somerset v Essex, Leyton, September 1, 2, 3 (Match drawn) b S.Turner 58 335-9c 20 4 60 3 R.Herbert c V.J.Marks 352-8c 1 K.S.McEwan c C.H.Dredge N.Smith c D.Breakwell run out 37 222-9 6 0 42 0 284-3d 60. Somerset v Leicestershire, Taunton, September 8, 9, 10 (Somerset won by 89 runs) c N.M.McVicker b P.B.Clift 88 408-7c 14 2 43 1 D.I.Gower c G.I.Burgess 332-8c c J.Birkenshaw b J.F.Steele 0 186-7d - - - - 173 1 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Championship 18 31 3 944 167* 33.71 1 5 15 Other Somerset matches 2 4 2 78 56 39.00 - 1 1 Season 20 35 5 1022 167* 34.06 1 6 16 Career 60 100 12 2047 167* 23.26 1 9 49 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Strike RunR Championship 503.1 90 1645 60 6/16 27.41 4 1 50.31 54.48 Other Som matches 60.3 10 235 6 4/75 39.16 - - 60.50 64.73 Season 563.4 100 1880 66 6/16 28.48 4 1 51.24 55.58 Career 1460.1 304 4323 158 6/16 27.36 6 1 55.44 49.34 1977 The 1977 season saw Botham’s elevation to the ranks of Test Cricketer, and ended with his being named as one of the Five Cricketers of the Year in the 1978 edition of Wisden . He deserved the honour, too, for in both the Test Matches that he appeared in he took five Australian wickets in their first innings to set England on the road to victory. His victims included the Australian captain Greg Chappell, Doug Walters (twice) and Rod Marsh (twice). For Somerset he scored 552 runs in twelve Championship appearances, including his second first-class century, 114 against Hampshire at Taunton. He took ten wickets in the match against Sussex at Hove and six for 58 against them in the return match at Taunton. In all matches he took 88 wickets at an average of 22.53. A foot injury sustained in the Headingley Test which ended on 15th August probably robbed him of the chance to do the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets for the season. He finished with 738 runs at an average of 30.75. He took fifteen catches. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 61. MCC v Middlesex, Lord’s, April (20), 21, 22 (Match drawn) not out 53 206-6d 18 5 40 3 J.M.Brearley c D.L.Bairstow 162-9d C.T.Radley lbw N.G.Featherstone c J.R.T.Barclay did not bat - 127-2d 8 0 19 2 M.J.Smith c D.L.Bairstow 46-3 G.D.Barlow lbw 11