England cricket great Botham hails Hughes for Aussie croc rescue

English Woman's Journal - England cricket great Botham hails Hughes for Aussie croc rescue

SPORTS 08.11.2024

England cricket great Botham hails Hughes for Aussie croc rescue / Photo: GLYN KIRK - AFP/File

England cricket great Ian Botham said he was "nearly catch of the day" after being pulled out of crocodile infested waters by his former Ashes rival Merv Hughes while on a fishing trip in Australia.

Change text size:

The pair were among a group on a boat on the Moyle River in northern Australia when the accident occurred.

Botham, 68, escaped with nothing worse than heavy bruising.

Writing on Instagram alongside a photograph of a large fish, the former England all-rounder said: "My catch of the day was the barra (fish) while I was nearly catch of the day for all the crocs and bull sharks... thanks boys for getting me out."

England's Botham and Australian fast bowler Hughes crossed swords on the pitch in the late 1980s but have remained friends.

Botham joked about his similarity to legendary Australian film character Crocodile Dundee, saying in the Herald Sun: "At the end of the day, Crocodile Beefy survived.

"I was out of the water quicker than I went in it. Quite a few sets of eyes were having a peep at me. Luckily I had no time to think about what was in the water. The guys were brilliant, it was just one of those accidents. It was all very quick and I'm OK now."

Botham, who was a swashbuckling all-rounder, is considered one of England's greatest cricketers, scoring 5,200 Test runs and taking 383 wickets during his career.

He played his final Test in 1992.

N.Steward--EWJ

FA Cup Second-Round Draw Confirmed for Non-League and Midlands Clubs

The FA Cup second-round draw has been finalized, setting up crucial ties for non-league teams aiming to reach the third round proper. Several clubs from the Midlands, including Burton Albion and Kidderminster Harriers, have secured their next opponents following recent victories over lower-league opposition.

Panthers expected to begin 2027 NRL season away from new stadium

The new Penrith Stadium is expected to be ready in time for the opening round of the 2027 NRL season, but it’s still likely the Panthers is expected to be on the road for their early matches. There is no delay to the build of the new $309 million venue but there’s a lack of appetite for risk around weather delays through the summer.

Tayyab Arif hits 57 on Pakistan Test debut against Sri Lanka

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Tayyab Arif smashed an aggressive half-century on debut and provided a new-look Pakistan lineup a confident start to the first cricket test against Sri Lanka on Monday. The 20-year-old Tayyab struck nine boundaries and a six in his 57-run knock as Pakistan reached 137-2 at lunch on a greenish wicket that lured Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis to bowl first after winning the toss.

English Woman's Journal - England cricket great Botham hails Hughes for Aussie croc rescue