10 Great Sir Ian Botham Moments

England all-rounder extraordinaire, Sir Ian Botham celebrates his 59th birthday on Monday, giving us an excellent excuse to look back at some classic Beefy moments.

Whether it was big-hitting hundreds, remarkable spells of swing bowling or raising money for charity with ridiculously long walks, Botham was one of the most watchable sportsmen of his era.

Always one for the big occasion, Botham saved much of his best work for high-profile clashes against the old enemy, Australia.

Read on to revisit 10 of Botham's most remarkable performances.

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There are so many fantastic Botham performances to choose from, it's been difficult to whittle them down to just 10.

Rather than just concentrating on statistics, we've included incidents that have resonated most with a wider sporting public. Performances in the Ashes were given extra weight given how important matches are between the Poms and their Antipodean cousins.

For this reason, there have been some high-profile omissions. Honourable mentions included Botham's highest Test score against India, his eight for 34 and a century against Pakistan, his eight wickets against the mighty West Indies and a brutal innings against Australia in the 1986/87 Perth Challenge.

Despite missing these highlights, there's plenty more great Botham action to enjoy.

10. Hits First Ball for 6

With the score at 572 for four, what better way to demoralise the opposition by smashing your first ball from their fastest bowler back over his head for six?

A shell-shocked Craig McDermott was on the receiving end of Botham's bravado at Edgbaston in 1985.

Sporting highlights and a mullet that would have made even Pat Sharp blush, this was mid-'80s era Beefy at his belligerent best.

9. Couldn't Quite Get His Leg Over

Botham was inadvertently responsible for one of cricket's funniest pieces of commentary. After ducking under a Curtly Ambrose bouncer at the Oval in 1991, Botham couldn't quite get his thigh out of the way of the stumps and flicked off the bail.

In the words of Jonathan Agnew, Botham "couldn't quite get his leg over." Aggers' double entendre prompted a fit of the giggles from the late, great Brian Johnston and became one of the most popular bits of commentary in radio history.

8. 1992 Cricket World Cup—Single-Handedly Beats Australia

At the age of 36, Botham may have lost a yard or two of pace, but he still had enough of an aura to give Australians nightmares.

The 1992 World Cup Australians were the last vintage to fall under Beefy's hypnotic spell. Trundling in off just a few paces and bowling at little more than medium pace, Botham destroyed the home side at a packed Sydney Cricket Ground.

The Aussies looked well placed at 145 for four but subsided to 171 all out after Botham dismissed first Allan Border, then Ian Healy, Peter Taylor and Craig McDermott.

Opening the batting, Botham then smashed a quickfire 53 as the Poms coasted home by eight wickets.

7. Smashes Merv Hughes for 22 in an Over

For a team that supposedly couldn't bat, couldn't bowl and couldn't field, England made a great start to their 1986/87 Ashes campaign.

The tourists got off to a flier in Brisbane thanks to a typically aggressive century from Botham. His 138 included a brutal assault on Merv Hughes who went for 22 in an over. Mike Gatting's side went on to win at the Gabba by seven wickets.

They sealed the series in Melbourne, with Botham once again influential. Despite suffering from a rib injury, Botham picked up five first-innings wickets as England coasted home by an innings and 14 runs.

6. Becomes Leading Wicket-Taker in Test History

After a run-in with the tabloids in 1986, Botham was banned from cricket for 63 days after admitting smoking cannabis.

In his absence, England managed to lose a home series to India for the first time. Recalled to the side against New Zealand, Botham delivered a metaphorical two-fingered salute to his critics by dismissing Bruce Edgar with his first ball.

The memorable comeback prompted Graham Gooch to say: "Blimey, Beef. Who writes your scripts?"

Botham wasn't finished either. Just a couple of overs later, England's greatest all-rounder dismissed Jeff Crowe to overtake Dennis Lillee as Test cricket's leading wicket-taker.

5. 1985 Walk from John O'Groats to Land's End

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In the days when cricket was shown on terrestrial TV, many of England's cricketers became household names, even to non-sports fans. None was more recognisable than Botham, though, and he used his fame to help a variety of good causes.

After meeting a child with leukaemia at Taunton Hospital, Botham decided he'd try and do something to help. The idea to walk from John O'Groats to Land's End was born.

Five weeks and 874 miles after setting off, Botham strolled into the Cornish town having raised more than half a million pounds.

Many more walking challenges have followed with Botham raising more than £13 million for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

He told the charity: "I never forget why I put myself through the pain and blisters. We need to ensure that every child diagnosed with blood cancer will survive and I will not stop until we beat childhood blood cancer."

4. 118 vs. Australia, Old Trafford 1981

Botham's innings at Headingley may be more famous, but his century at Old Trafford two Tests later was even better. While there was an element of luck about his amazing effort in Leeds, there was nothing fluky on show in his Manchester demolition act.

Botham destroyed an attack that included Ashes legends Dennis Lillee and Terry Alderman. Packed full of marvellous strokes, Botham took just 102 balls to score 118. His innings included 13 fours and six sixes including two from Lillee that have to be seen to be believed.

Despite valiant second-innings centuries from Allan Border and Graham Yallop, England won by 103 runs to secure the Ashes.

3. 13 Wickets and a Century Against India

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While Botham's most memorable exploits with bat and ball have come against the Australians, arguably his finest all-round performance came against India.

In the first Test in Mumbai in 1980, Botham took six wickets in the first innings and followed it by adding another seven in the second.

In between those Herculean efforts with the ball came an innings of 114 out of an England total of 296. Botham's amazing performance helped the tourists to an unlikely 10-wicket win.

Beefy's match figures of 13 for 106 remain the best by a bowler in Test matches between England and India.

2. 5 Wickets for 1 Run at Edgbaston

Spectators who only saw the latter stages of Botham's career might have wondered how he managed to collect 383 Test wickets. Wobbling in and bowling at a lick over medium-pace, Botham didn't then fit the mould of the fiery fast bowler.

A quick look at Beefy's efforts at Edgbaston in 1981 tells the true story, though. Fast, aggressive and moving the ball both ways, Botham was far too good for a brittle Australian lower order.

Set a meagre target of just 151, Kim Hughes' side wilted under the pressure, subsiding from 87 for three to 121 all out. Botham was the destroyer-in-chief, taking five wickets for one run in a devastating, match-winning spell.

1. Headingley 1981

Botham's exploits at Headingley in 1981 have passed into national, not just cricketing folklore. After bagging a pair at Lord's and relinquishing the captaincy, Botham roared back in style in Leeds.

England's premier all-rounder picked up six wickets in Australia's first innings and top-scored in the home side's reply with 50.

Despite his heroics, England were faced with a first-innings deficit of 227. With Mike Brearley's side reduced to 135 for seven and staring defeat in the face, Botham, with the help of Graham Dilley, Chris Old and Bob Willis, staged the greatest comeback in Test cricket history.

Botham smashed 149 from just 148 balls to give England a sniff of a famous win. Set just 130 to win, the Australians collapsed in the face of a fearsome spell from Willis and the Botham legend was born.