The Ian Chappell vs Botham car park clash has become the most amusing off-field story of ashes 2010-11. MiD DAY traces the history of their raging rivalry

Ian Chappell's clashes with Don Bradman were always verbal and never heated. His relationship with Ian Botham was something entirely different. Botham and Chappell never quite hit it off.

Ian Chappell

There are two versions of the clash the pair had at the Melbourne Cricket Ground bar back in the summer of 1976-77. Chappell had quit South Australia to play club cricket for North Melbourne. That same summer Botham was in Australia on a Whitbread scholarship and was contracted for a season with the University Club. Botham has not wavered from his version of events, as told to Peter Hayter in Botham: My autobiography:

One night I was drinking in a bar with players from both sides when I overheard Chappell giving it the typical Aussie verbals and rubbishing England. In fact, he was getting so full of himself that it would have been impossible for me not to overhear him. I didn't like what he was saying and I told him in so many words, warning him that if he carried on there would be trouble. I don't know if Chappell was aware of my reputation for thinking with my fists or whether he was intentionally goading me, but in any case, he went on and on. Three times I warned him and three times he ignored me. Finally, I could take no more so I threw a punch at him. The impact sent him flying over a table into a group of Aussie Rules footballers, whose drink was scattered to all parts.

Botham further alleges that Chappell fled and that he followed in pursuit, hurdling the bonnet of a car in his mad chase but fell away at the sight of a police car. Botham denies having gone after Chappell with a bottle or an empty glass.

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