England, following on 227 runs behind and 500-to-1 outsiders with bookmakers, were bowled to 135/7 in their second innings when Ian Botham walked in and made 149 not out — setting up a Bob Willis spell that completed the most improbable Ashes victory ever.
Ian Botham had just resigned as England captain after two Tests without a win. Kim Hughes's Australia were dominant. England followed on at Headingley — a match so lost that several Australians had already checked out of their hotel. The bookmakers offered 500-to-1 against England winning. Dennis Lillee and Rodney Marsh put money on England.
Botham and Dilley put on 117 for the 8th wicket — Dilley contributing 56. Then Botham and Chris Old added 67. Then Botham and Willis added 37. Botham was 149 not out when the innings ended at 356, setting Australia 130 to win.
130 seemed nothing. Australia were 56/1 at tea on the final day. Then Bob Willis — bowling from the Kirkstall Lane end with the wind behind him — took 8/43 in one of the great sustained fast bowling spells in cricket history. Australia were bowled out for 111. England won by 18 runs.
Dennis Lillee and Rodney Marsh collected their 500-to-1 winnings. Botham was named Man of the Match. England went on to win the series 3-1. The match became known simply as Botham's Ashes.
England 135/7 following on — 500/1 outsiders, hotels checked out
Botham and Dilley's 117 partnership — the improbable turnaround begins
Bob Willis 8/43 — Australia bowled out for 111, England win by 18
July 17, 1981
Australia bowl England out for 174 — enforce follow-on
July 20, 1981
England 135/7 in second innings — Botham walks in
July 21, 1981 (morning)
Botham 149*, England 356 — Australia need 130
July 21, 1981 (afternoon)
Willis 8/43 — Australia 111 all out, England win by 18
England won the next two Tests as well — Botham dominant throughout — to win the series 3-1. The 1981 Ashes became 'Botham's Ashes.' The bookmakers changed their policies on accepting bets from participating players after Lillee and Marsh's windfall.
The greatest Ashes comeback in history until Stokes at Headingley 38 years later — and still arguably the more miraculous of the two given the odds, the circumstances, and the ferocity of Willis's bowling that completed it.
Headingley 1981 is the original template for miraculous cricket comebacks. Ben Stokes's 2019 innings at the same ground was consciously compared to it at the time — and Stokes himself acknowledged the parallel. The Headingley ground has now hosted cricket's two greatest individual Test rescue acts.
Australia vs West Indies
1960-12-14
The first tied Test in 86 years of cricket history — Australia and West Indies finished level on 737 runs each after five days of breathless cricket in Brisbane, producing one of the most dramatic finishes the game has ever seen.
India vs Australia
1986-09-22
Twenty-six years after Brisbane, cricket produced only its second tied Test — Dean Jones's heroic 210 through crippling heat and Dean Jones's fever, Ravi Shastri's unbeaten 48 and India needing 2 off the last over, only for Maninder Singh to be out lbw off the final ball.
Australia vs South Africa
1999-06-17
Lance Klusener smashed Australia to the brink of elimination, then ran out Allan Donald off the penultimate ball to tie the match — but Australia advanced to the final on superior run rate, ending South Africa's greatest World Cup campaign in devastating fashion.