to have been an unqualified success, but this had more to do with him achieving team harmony than on-field results. There was only a slight improvement with five championship wins and thirteenth place. As a bowler, Statham was as deadly as ever in the 1965 County Championship, taking 124 wickets for 12.41 apiece. Statham's form in county cricket earned him an England recall at the age of 35 for the final Test against South Africa and he took five for 40 in the first innings. In all first-class matches in 1965, he took 137 wickets, his second-highest season tally, at 12.52 with best figures of eight for 69. He no longer wished to be considered for overseas tours and was therefore unavailable for the one to Australia and New Zealand in 1965–66. As a result, the 1965 Oval Test was his last. Having completed his Test career, he was awarded the CBE in the 1966 New Year's Honours in recognition of his services to cricket. 1966 to 1968 1966 season Lancashire under Statham finished twelfth in the wet summer of 1966 with six wins. He personally had another successful season, taking 102 wickets at 14.50 in 25 matches. It was the thirteenth time he had taken 100 wickets in a season and that created a new club record which still stands. His best innings return was seven for 24 against Hampshire at Old Trafford. At Dover in August, he took ten in the match against Kent. 1967 season In 1967, now aged 35, Statham was slightly less effective and took 92 wickets at 16.63. It was the first time since 1956 that he failed to reach the hundred. Although Lancashire rose to eleventh in the championship, they won only four of their 28 matches. Lancashire's poor form was put into further perspective by the concurrent success of rivals Yorkshire, who won the title for the second successive season and for the sixth time in the last nine seasons. Statham was relieved of the Lancashire captaincy after the 1967 season and was replaced by Jack Bond who had been successful leading the Second XI. Statham decided to retire and announced that the 1968 season would be his last. 1968 season Lancashire improved under Bond's leadership and won eight matches to finish the 1968 season in sixth place, the title again going to Yorkshire. Statham took 69 wickets at an average of