A player with Bothamesque8217; traits

Gough has taken a long time confirming his promise since his international debut five years ago.

Things had begun ridiculously well. Armed with raw pace and the brash swagger of youth, the boy from Barnsley took six wickets and plastered 65 runs on his Test debut against New Zealand.

Shortly afterwards in Sydney, he rolled over six Australians for 49 before clubbing his way to an outrageous Ashes half-century.

Inevitably, Gough became the latest English unfortunate to be saddled with the greatest of expectations as he was prematurely declared the new Ian Botham.

Smiling irrepressibly, he lapped up the praise only for injury to spoil the party. A broken foot cut short his Ashes tour. Gradually,realism set in. Gough, it emerged over the next few seasons, was no Botham. He wasn8217;t even an all-rounder, as subsequent short-lived innings proved beyond doubt.

True, he was a bowling talent, but as raw as sandpaper and injury-prone besides. Slowly his form, his confidence and his late swinging yorker slipped away.

Last year saw the turning point. Gough began 1998 with a knee operation which deprived him of a place on England8217;s ill-fated tour to the West Indies. During the English summer, however, he managed to stay fit at last, taking 17 wickets in four Tests during the victorious series against South Africa.

His good form continued in the Ashes. Barrelling in at Melbourne, he took five for 96 to set up England8217;s lone win. Then, in Sydney, he became the first Englishman to take a hat-trick this century. He ended up with 21 wickets despite his teammates spilling chance after chance off his bowling.

quot;Dazzlerquot;, as Gough is affectionately named he also answers to Rhino and Leg, short for Legend, givesEngland8217;s attack a cutting edge which has been missing since the days of Bob Willis. His genuine speed allows him to stand out in a land where medium-paced swingers and seamers dominate. His character 8211; Gough8217;s most Bothamesque8217; trait 8211; has also made him a special favourite. Like Botham, he is seen as a blue-collar hero, straightforward but fair, a spade8217;s a spade.

Gough fizzes with life and enthusiasm on the pitch and will share a beer with any opponent off it. Not surprisingly, he and Shane Warne are good mates. And share a similar build quot;Obviously, I8217;m not a stick 8230;. for some reason the TV makes me look big. I8217;m not fat. I8217;m well-builtquot;.

Gough8217;s game, based on attack, once seemed tailored to Tests rather than one-dayers. As he has matured, however, he has tightened his line and length without reducing his ability to take wickets. He rarely ends an opening spell without at least one wicket. When he does, England inevitably struggle.