Boycott’s 100th 100 gave the lie to Wisden

Press, 27 August 1977, Page 12

Boycott’s 100th 100 gave the lie to Wisden

Bv

R. T. BRITTENDEN

•‘Boycott, by his deeds and words, has all England wondering whether he will ever be a force again in test cricket.” So wrote Norman Preston, editor of “Wisden,” in the 1975 issue of that admirable publication. Geoff Boycott took three years out of test cricket, and two years from the “Wisden” comment, to answer it, with his innings of 107. 80 not out and 191 to help wrap up the present AustraliaEngland series.

But Preston was entitled to say what he did.

After playing in the first test against India at home in 1974, Boycott asked not to be considered for selection. He was chosen to go to Australia for the 1974-75 season, but withdrew. He said he felt he had not got over the pressures and tensions of international cricket.

Boycott added that he was not confident of being able to withstand the rigours of a long Australian tour. Little wonder that Preston had doubts. But Boycott, now 36, has always been just a little different to the average top cricketer. By no means an outgoing personality, he has not always been easy to get on with. He is dedicated to his life as a proffesional batsman, and not only the events of recent weeks have shown what a loss England suffered when he decided to apply himself to Yorkshire’s rather than his country’s problems.

His withdrawal was brought about, in part, by his reluctance to play under the 1974-75 captain, Mike Denness. Boycott, apparently felt he should have been given the post.

Boycott’s enthusiasm for batting was fired almost in infancy. He is the son of a miner: his brothers played for a colliery team. He showed such aptitude for the game that his relatives decided to contribute to a fund for his eleventh birthday: the money was spent on giving him a winter of coaching at an indoor school conducted by a former Somerset player, Johnny Lawrence.

Boycott showed such ability in club and then in county colts’ cricket that by 1963 he had won a place in the Yorkshire eleven and, with 1778 runs at 41.3, won the “Best Young Cricketer of the Year” award. Within a year, he

was opening for England against Australia.

In that 1964 series, he scored a century — in his fourth test, and averaged 48.5. He went to South Africa, made another test century, and averaged almost 50.

There was only modest success in 1965, when New Zealand and South Africa toured England and in Australia in 1965-66, he did not score a test century, although he averaged almost 43. In New Zealand at the end of that summer, he had three test innings for a total of 13 runs. Playing against the West Indies, he averaged only 26.6 in four tests. But 1967 took Boycott from being a good batsman to being an outstanding one. He made 246 not out against India, and had a highly successful 1967-68 tour of the West Indies — his test scores were 68, 17, 0, 90, 62, 80 not out, 116 and 30.

In 1968, Boycott played in only three tests against Australia, making 162 in five innings but he had a series figure of 54 against the West Indies the following year. Again New Zealand bowlers found him susceptible that summer, Boycott making 101 in five innings. Boycott averaged 65 in an unofficial series against the Rest of the World in 1970, but he had a triumphant tour of Australia. After scoring 37 and 16 in his first appearance, he made 70, 50, 77, 142 not out, 12, 76 not out, 58 and 119 not out — 657 at 93.8. His next test innings were 121 not out and 112 against Pakistan in 1971 and after playing only twice against the 1972 Australians, he at last took toll of New Zealand bowling, making 320 at 64 in the hard-fought 1973 series.

There was more success — an average of 50.5 — against the West Indies that summer, and he was almost as prolific a scorer ir. the West Indies in 1973-74, averaging 46.8. He made 99 and 112 in his last appearance in that series.

In the final test being played at present, Boycott needs only 43 runs to become the eighth Englishman with 5000 test runs. It will be his sixty-sixth test, he has made 14 centuries, and his average is a shade better than 50.

That he should score his one-hundredth first-class

century in a test with Australia on his home ground gave cricket’s sentimentalists much pleasure. Even Boycott showed some sign of delight, at the time. And for all his maturity, it seems he may still have a contribution to make to English cricket, and turn back on “Wisden” the content of an anxious prophecy. Boycott’s strength of resolve is renowned; he has had this fierce determination all his life, and Michael Parkinson, that champion of all that is Yorkshire and Yorkshire cricket, recently recalled the 15-year-old Boycott playing in a friendly Sunday fixture at Barnsley.

He was batting well when play was interrupted with a ' message asking him to report next day to Headingley to join the Yorkshire first team squad.

Boycott read the message and walked to the pavilion gate by the opposing skipper who, not unnaturally, pointed out that it was courtesy to ask his permission before departing the field. Moreover, where was he going?

Boycott looked at him, and said: “I’ve finished with this kind of cricket.” And so he had.