Rewind: Warwickshire v Somerset, 1985

John Whitehouse - WCCC Ian Botham unfurled some brilliant feats at Edgbaston. With bat and ball for England and Somerset his extravagant talents blossomed in Birmingham: 100 (140 balls) v Pakistan in

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2022-09-11T13:59:00.000Z

John Whitehouse - WCCC

Ian Botham unfurled some brilliant feats at Edgbaston.

With bat and ball for England and Somerset his extravagant talents blossomed in Birmingham: 100 (140 balls) v Pakistan in 1978; five for 11 from 14 overs v Australia in 1981; 138 (65 balls, 13 fours, 12 sixes) v the Bears in 1985. And plenty of others.

But in 1975, as a 19-year-old with all those achievements in front of him, 'Beefy' came out second best to Bill Bourne in a classic county championship tussle which the Bears won by one wicket.

As with all great first-class matches, a slow-burning plot evolved over several days - three in the case of 1975 when three-day games were the staple of championship cricket.

On the first, Somerset made 308 for four in the 100 overs to which first innings were restricted in that era. Derek Taylor made 114 and Brian Rose and Peter Denning 64 apiece while Botham did not bat (ending such an enforced truncation of the first innings was a big reason behind the eventual switch to four-day games).

Warwickshire replied with 277 (John Whitehouse 121, Dennis Amiss 46, Geoff Humpage 45, Botham two for 45) before the vital third innings of the match tilted the balance the Bears' way. Strong, straight bowling dismissed Somerset for 218 as six batters were bowled and three fell lbw. Barbadian all-rounder Bourne took for four for 61 and Walsall's finest, David Brown, added three for 49.

Their impressive work left the Bears a target of 250 and set up a brilliant finish. They first wobbled to 62 for three with Amiss, Whitehouse and John Jameson back in the hutch before MJK Smith, a week before his 42nd birthday, and David Smith, three weeks before his 19th, added 106 for the fourth wicket.

Further turbulence followed and a decline to 209 for eight - advantage Somerset. But in scenes of exhilarating tension, later to be emulated on the same plot on August 7th, 2005, Bourne and Peter Lewington collected 38 runs before the latter was trapped lbw by Botham.

247 for nine. Three to win.

In came number 11 Steve Perryman with a calm head and an under-rated technique to defy nobly and end with a superb nought not out when Bourne biffed Botham for the winning boundary.