Botham flogs Indian attack

Press, 22 August 1979, Page 36

Botham flogs Indian attack

I NZPA Leeds The bad weather relented ■just long enough during 'he third cricket test at HeadJingley yesterday for England's all-rounder, lan Botham, to serve up a batting spectacular for a sparse crowd and for India to make a disastrous start to its first innings. The rain, which washed out [all but 160 minutes play on the first three days, held off until mid-afternoon yesterday, when India was two for 10 in reply to England's first innings total of 270. In spite of India's vulnerable position, a result on the final day seems our of 'he question, and England will go into the final test at the Oval. London, on August 30 still holding the 1-0 lead it took by winning the first test.

Each member of the Indian attack in turn was subjected to some savage treatment by Botham’s swinging bat, and his fourth six, a savage blow off Kapil Dev, brought up iiis fourth test century in 169 minutes. He also hit 12 fours. Botham was eventually out for 137, a score which left

s him three runs short of com--1 pleting 1000 runs and taking e 100 wickets in tests. ENGLAND First innings ‘ G Boycott c Viswanath b ’ Kapil Dev 31 > J. M. Brearley c Viswanath b ' Amarnath 15 - G. A. Gooch c Vengsarkar b t Kapil Dev 4 D. 1. Gower lbw b Kapil Dev o D. W. Randall b Ghavri 11 r I. T. Botham c Ghavri b Ven--1 kataraghavan 137 f G. Miller c Reddy b Amarnath 27 P. H. Edmonds run out 18 r R. W. Taylor c Chauhan b t Bedi 1 R. G D. Willis not out 4 IM. Hendrick c sub b Bedi 0 -i Extras <b4. Ibs. w4. nbBi .. 22 ; I Total 270 J Fall: 53, 54 .57 58. 89, 176 . 264, J 264. 266 , Bowling.—Kapil Dev. 27. 7, 84, ] 3: Ghavri. 18. 4. 60. 1; Amarnath, 20 7, 53, 2; Venkataraghavan, 7, < 2/25. 1: Bedi. 8.5. 2, 26. 2. INDIA First innings * S. M. Gavaskar not out 18 J C P.'S. Chauhan c Botham b 1 Willis ® M. Amarnath c Taylor b > Willis « SG. R. Viswanath not out .. O Total for two -wickets 10 ' Fall: 1. 9. [ Bowling: Willis 4,1, 5,2; Hentidrick. 4. 1,5, 0.