Botham auctions off 1981 Ashes mementoes

Ian Botham sold 200+ souvenirs from his cricket career, incl. ball from 1981 Ashes win (5 wkts for 1 run) & Headingley 81 stump (149 not out).

England cricket great Ian Botham has sold off more than 200 souvenirs from his career at a London auction, with items from his celebrated role in a 1981 Ashes triumph among the most highly-valued lots.

The ball with which he took five Australia wickets for one run as England came from behind to win the fourth Test of that series at Edgbaston sold for £20,000 ($26,000, 23,000 euros).

And a stump marked "Headingley 81" from the previous match, taken as a souvenir by Botham after his astounding 149 not out helped England win after being made to follow-on, sold for £11,000.

His man-of-them match medal from Headingley -- Botham also took six wickets in Australia's first innings and then made exactly 50 -- went under the hammer at £19,000, more than double the pre-sale estimate.

And yet the most expensive item in the auction, held at The Oval ground, had no connection to cricket.

A Manchester United shirt worn by Sammy McIlroy in the 1977 Charity Shield against Liverpool in Wembley, later given to Botham by the Northern Ireland footballer, sold for £23,000 -- more than seven times its original estimate of £3,000.

Botham, 67, was one of the best all-rounders in cricket history during a 15-year Test career from 1977-92.