Ian Botham had already turned in two Player of the Match performances in the third and fourth Test matches of the 1981 Ashes, at Headingley and Edgbaston.
And he almost made it three in a row in the fifth Test, at Old Trafford.
England had won the toss, batted, and made 231, Chris Tavare top scoring with 69 while Dennis Lillee and Terry Alderman took four wickets apiece. Australia, though, were bowled out for just 130, Botham taking 3-28.
When England batted again, Tavare made 79, and there were half-centuries for Alan Knott and John Emburey. But it was Botham who lit up the innings, making 118 off just 102 balls, striking 6 sixes and 13 fours. He rode his luck – he was dropped thrice – but he helped England close on 404, setting Australia a target of 506.
They made a decent fist of it, with both Allan Border and Graham Yallop scoring hundreds. But in the end they managed 402 and lost by 103 runs.
The sixth Test, with the Ashes and the series decided, was something of an anticlimax after what had gone before.
This time England put Australia in after winning the toss. Australia did well, making 352, Border making an unbeaten 106, and the opening pair of Graeme Wood and Martin Kent sharing a stand of 120 for the first wicket.
In reply, Geoff Boycott scored 137 in front of the Oval crowd and Mike Gatting 53, but Dennis Lillee’s 7-89 helped restrict the England to 314.
The second time round Australia reached 344/7 before declaring, Dirk Wellham making 103 and Border 84. England needed 383 to win.
They reached 261/7, with Knott scoring an unbeaten 70, when the draw was declared.
Lillee took four more wickets to finish with match figures of 11-159, and took home the Player of the Match award.
However, there was only one contender for the Player of the Series and that was Botham, after a summer England cricket fans will never forget.