Ashes rivalry still burning bright

Adelaide:  Legendary cricket enemies Sir Ian Botham and Ian Chappell had to be pulled apart after a furious bust-up in the car park after the end of play on the fourth day in the Adelaide Test.

The England and Australia icons have a feud going back more than 30 years and squared up before their Sky and Channel 9 colleagues intervened.

Botham was waiting for his Sky transport to collect him outside the Adelaide Oval. Chappell muttered something highly provocative as he went past. A surprised Botham turned around to retort: "What did you say?"

And after Chappell made another incendiary remark, both of them dropped their bags and were at each others' throats before being quickly separated.

The pair have a deep mutual resentment going back to 1977.

It started during the Centenary Test at Melbourne in March of that year when an uncapped 21-year-old Botham, playing club cricket in Australia, ended up in the same bar as Chappell.

Botham objected to the Pommie-bashing comments of Chappell, who had recently retired.