Butcher takes England to an incredible win

By Ted Corbett

LEEDS, AUG. 20. A third-wicket stand of 181 between captain Nasser Hussain and Mark Butcher turned England from derided outsider to winner by six wickets in the fourth Ashes Test at Headingley today.

Hussain was out just before tea with 93 needed in 36 overs but, on a placid pitch, the England batsmen scored 315 for four to make the series score 3-1 with one to play at the Oval later this week. Butcher was unbeaten on 173, his highest Test score.

At 11.15, I inquired of a bookmaker what price England might be and he gave me a pitying look. ``We have marked up 12- 1,'' he said with the air of a man who knows a fool when he meets one. ``But I am sure we can offer you a little more. What price would you like, sir?'' I took his first offer. After all, England had just lost two wickets for 33, and I was not too sure of my ground.

But the pitch was playing easy and the good folk of Yorkshire, who are not easily fooled about cricket matters, had rolled up in their thousands to see the last rites. Of course, a ten pound entry fee helped.

``Something for nothing is Yorkshire's favourite price,'' one told me in the car park which was not charging today.

They also seemed to feel, judging by the way they formed a queue at that same bookmakers shortly afterwards, that victory was due. They were just as convinced of England success three years when 9,000 saw the tense win over South Africa on the fifth morning. Entry was free that day too.

It did not look England's match in the first half hour. Michael hooked Glenn McGrath's first ball of the day for four and was caught behind from a fountain spout of a ball from that great bowler's third.

Marcus Trescothick pushed the score along briskly but at ten he drove uppishly to second gully-the outside man of a circle of six behind the bat-and so England had two new batsmen at the crease and appeared to be on the verge of a collapse.

In the next 90 minutes Butcher, who had declared overnight that he intended to put a positive bat to the ball, and Hussain reached a fifty stand in 55 minutes and 118 for two at lunch without a heart-stopping moment.

Adam Gilchrist, who had debated batting for another five overs last night but decided to go flat out for victory, tried Shane Warne who found the ball would not turn quickly and Brett Lee whose first over went for 14. Lee was bowling somewhere in the mid-80s, at least ten per cent below his potential.

When the 100 came up the bad boys in the West stand stood up and cheered and cheered. Like the rest of us they have spent the summer in search of a hero and now they had two.

England had reduced its requirements to 197 by lunch, and the total was beginning to look as gettable as that 279 at Centurion 18 months ago when England won by seven wickets to retrieve some honour from another series that threatened a whitewash.

Afterwards, when Australia had another opportunity to break through, Butcher in particular picked up the pace again. He was lucky to survive a run-out chance on 97 when he suddenly, without enough warning for Hussain to start his engine, rushed down the pitch and had to rush back.

When he dived in and the ball missed the stumps all the signs showed the gods were behind England.

As his third Test hundred came up the whole ground rose to greet the man who thought he was not among the contenders at the beginning of the series.

Hussain, who had been hit on the hand again, was content to play second fiddle but the pitch was quiet and in the face of the best England batting of the series the bubble seemed to have gone out of the Australians.

The crowd was only 2,000 short of maximum when Gilchrist called up Jason Gillespie for the first time for two hours.

He made Butcher edge the ball high over slips, England went to 200 and Lee produced several balls above 90 miles an hour before Hussain cut him twice for four and reach fifty in 99 balls.

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