Cricket legend Ian Botham sells souvenirs from his career for £150,000

Howzat for a haul! Cricket legend Ian Botham sells prized souvenirs from his career including stump from miraculous 1981 Ashes win for £150,000

• Sir Ian, 67, is parting with over 240 souvenirs including £25,000 cricket ball
• Botham was England’s lead Test wicket taker until Anderson broke the record 

Cricket legend Sir Ian Botham is selling prized souvenirs from his career for £150,000.

The famous all-rounder is parting with over 240 souvenirs including the stump he ripped out of the ground after the miraculous Headingley win in the 1981 Ashes series.

He is also selling the iconic red cricket ball he took five wickets for one run with to inspire England to victory in the next test match at Edgbaston.

From the same match is another wooden stump Botham removed after taking the final Australian wicket. There is famous footage of him holding it aloft as he sprints from the field to avoid a pitch invasion.

There are England blazers and caps as well as his man of the match awards and his BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement award.

Cricket legend Sir Ian Botham is selling prized souvenirs from his career for £150,000 (pictured in 2017)

The famous all-rounder is parting with over 240 souvenirs including the stump he ripped out of the ground after the miraculous Headingley win in the 1981 Ashes series (pictured)

Now aged 67, ‘Beefy’ Botham is believed to be selling his treasured possessions as he is downsizing and he has decided to have a clear out.

The sale is being conducted by Knight’s Auctioneers, of Norwich, Norfolk, in the long room at The Kia Oval, Surrey’s home ground.

Auctioneer Tim Knight said: ‘We believe the sale will make £150,000 but with Lord Botham’s name carrying that magic dust and the sale taking place during the Ashes it could go for more.

‘The highlights are definitely the lots associated with the 1981 Ashes, which are known as Botham’s Ashes.

‘I believe Lord Botham 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!

‘He 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 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 ball Botham dismissed five Australian batters with in the second innings at Edgbaston as Australia were dismissed for 121 could fetch £25,000 

His BBC SPOTY Lifetime award, given to him in 2004, could make £5,000

A classic England blue one day top he wore at the 1992 World Cup in Australia, where England lost in the final to Pakistan, is estimated at £800; a one day helmet is prized at £500

England’s Ian Botham races back to the Edgbaston pavilion with a souvenir stump in his hand after England won the Fourth Test to take a 2-1 series lead

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.

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, which has been marked in ink ‘Headingley 81’ by Botham, is valued at £15,000.

The Edgbaston ball is tipped to fetch £25,000 while the stump from the same match is valued at £10,000.

Botham’s man of the match medal for Headingley is tipped to make £8,000, while his Edgbaston man of the match award is estimated at £6,000.

Also in the sale is an Australia ‘baggy green’ cap he was given by former Australian captain Allan Border which is expected to go for £5,000.

Botham’s England test blazer is valued at £3,000, his Somerset cap is offered at £2,500 and his BBC SPOTY Lifetime award, given to him in 2004, could make £5,000.

Botham’s man of the match medal for Headingley is tipped to make £8,000, while his Edgbaston man of the match award is estimated at £6,000

An Australia ‘baggy green’ cap Botham was given by former Australian captain Allan Border is expected to go for £5,000

Botham’s England test blazer is valued at £3,000. The sale takes place on July 15

Pictured: Botham and his teammates celebrating on the balcony at Edgbaston in 1981

Pictured is a jumper valued at £500 as fans can get their hands on a piece of cricketing history

A classic England blue one day top he wore at the 1992 World Cup in Australia, where England lost in the final to Pakistan, is estimated at £800.

There are also souvenirs given to him by fellow cricketing greats such as Viv Richards and Wasim Akram.

And a brilliant autograph book from his time as a captain on BBC’s A Question of Sport that is filled with signatures of major sporting names from the 1980s is also in sale.

The names include Paul Gascoigne, Faitma Whitbread, Steve Redgrave, Gavin Hastings, Eric Bristow and Willie Carson.

Botham played 102 tests between 1977 and 1992, scoring 5,200 runs including 14 hundreds and taking 383 wickets.

He was England’s lead test wicket taker until 2015, when James Anderson broke his record.  

Botham has raised millions of pounds for Leukaemia charities with his walks and was knighted in 2007. He was made a cross bench peer in the House of Lords in 2020.

The sale takes place on July 15.

It comes as England, captained by Ben Stokes, are facing Australia once more in the 2023 Ashes in the second test at Lord’s. 

Sir Ian Botham’s glittering cricketing career

an Botham joined the grounds staff at the Lords aged just 16. His professional cricket career took off when he played for Somerset and then for England

Botham had a talent for both cricket and football – but chose the former for his career despite an offer from Crystal Palace. 

He joined Somerset County Cricket Club aged 13 after he was noticed while playing at school. 

He joined the grounds staff at Lord’s after he was deemed too young for a professional deal, but returned for their U-25 side. He made his senior debut aged 17.

Botham’s first match for England was in 1976 against the West Indied in a Limited Overs International. Aged 20, he was the youngest in the team. 

A year later he played his first Test match against Australia at Trent Bridge. He was named Young Cricketer of The Year. 

Botham became a household name after the 1981 Ashes match and in 1985 the cricket star staged his first of many charity walks.  

The first one in 1985 saw Botham walk from John O’Groats in Scotland down to Land’s End in Cornwall. 

Botham played 102 tests between 1977 and 1992, scoring 5,200 runs including 14 hundreds and taking 383 wickets.

He was England’s lead test wicket taker until 2015, when James Anderson broke his record. 

He retired from both Test matches and ODI cricket in summer 1992.  

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