The Test Career of Geoffrey Boycott [1] Quiz

Answer: Bobby Simpson's Australians

Showing good form on his first Test appearance, Boycott put together a solid 48 on the opening day before being paranormally caught at first slip by Simpson, who specialised in hanging on to highly unfeasible catches.
I've been watching some video footage of Boycott's debut series and I must say, he looked every inch an England batsman right from the word go. Australia won the rubber 1-0, but a new English star was born that summer. "This young man is very strong off the back foot," purred Denis Compton from the BBC commentary box at Leeds.

Answer: M.J.K. Smith

Boycott played some crucial Test innings on both tours, first in South Africa and then the following winter in Australia. I read somewhere that the young Yorkshire opener, who played in glasses in those early days, was inspired by the example of the bespectacled Smith captaining Warwickshire and England quite successfully without any apparent discomfort. England won a hard-fought series in South Africa 1-0, and drew 1-1 in Australia.

The Oxford-educated Smith, who played his cricket rather in the manner of an absent-minded professor, used Boycott creatively as a first-change bowler on both of these tours - a tactic which enabled both of England's quality off-spinners, Fred Titmus and David Allen, to be fitted into the Test team together. Although he has always been very modest about his seam-bowling skills, Boycott responded by taking several useful wickets in both rubbers.

Answer: 84

They put on 234 in even time, setting up a famous England victory by an innings and 93 runs, Australia in this game missing their captain Simpson who was injured. Boycott was no slouch during this big partnership: nor had he been in the previous Test, when - as wikipedia recounts - the same opening pair had "electrified" the Melbourne crowd with 88 in 77 minutes, Boycott scoring 51 of them!

Australia (with Simpson in charge again) came back hard at Adelaide in the Fourth Test to level the series, and so the Ashes stayed down under.

Answer: dropped from the side for slow scoring

Ironically, Boycott's run-rate during his Headingley innings (in a match which England eventually won by six wickets) was relatively brisk compared to some of his later Test batting marathons, for which he received no punishment. The selectors argued that the Indian bowling was gentle enough for a more aggressive innings to have been played. Boycott was reported to have been "gutted" by their decision.

Answer: Boycott and Cowdrey steered England to victory

This was perhaps the chief highspot in Boycott's wonderful first tour of the Caribbean (although his 113 at Georgetown, Guyana in the drawn Fifth Test was another fine effort.) In a perfectly-timed response to Sobers's challenge, first with John Edrich (29) and then with the skipper Colin Cowdrey (71) England's anchor-man (80 not out) saw his side home by seven wickets with just a few minutes to spare - a result that later turned out to have secured victory in the series. I have the impression that Sobers's cricketing gambles usually paid off for his side - but this one certainly didn't.

Answer: Colin Milburn

This was the perfect start for England in this match, as they needed to restore some pride after having performed dismally in the previous Test at Old Trafford. Outscoring his partner 2 to 1, Milburn cut and pulled his way to 83 before being memorably caught by Doug Walters in front of the Members' Stand going for another big hit. England then bowled and fielded like demons when Australia batted, forcing the visitors to follow on but being denied victory when rain washed out the end of the game.

Milburn's cricketing career was sadly cut short by a car accident in the spring of 1969, just as he looked as if he might enjoy a long England stint as Boycott's perfect foil.

Answer: scored two centuries against New Zealand

Boycott showed fine form against Sobers's West Indians with two centuries, but then in five innings against New Zealand averaged just over 20, while teammates like John Edrich and Philip Sharpe were making hay against the less than terrifying Kiwi attack.

There was some suggestion that this loss of form may have been connected with the newness of his contact lenses and the need to get used to them over a longer period.

Answer: run out

It was a very tight decision indeed, and English supporters would naturally feel, in the days before referrals and third umpires, that Boycott might have been given the benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, Umpire Max O'Connell was regarded as a fair-minded man, popular with the England players, and he was presumably in the best position to judge.

The Adelaide crowd quickly forgave Boycott when he scored a fluent century in the second innings. On that tour he was batting on water and averaged over 90 in the Tests.

Answer: I worked that out a fortnight ago.

The implication was that Boycott had not bothered to share important information with his teammates. This is sometimes cited to support the theory of a "selfish" Boycott, playing only for himself at all times. Quite a number of people - though not everybody, it must be said - feel that this aspect of the man has been exaggerated out of all proportion.

As a footnote to this story: this pair of dedicated professionals always tended to bat extremely well together. In fact, one of the most enjoyable partnerships I can ever remember watching was between Boycott (112) and d'Oliveira (74) for the fourth wicket against Pakistan at Headingley in the opening Test of the 1971 season. They batted like a pair of blood brothers, and the running between the wickets - on this occasion at least - was immaculate.

Answer: 142 not out

This was a crucial second-innings knock for England in the Fourth Test at Sydney, which prevented Gleeson from bowling Australia back into the match and set up victory by 299 runs after Illingworth had been able to declare with plenty of time to bowl the home side out. (England's brilliant strike bowler John Snow speeded things up by taking 7-40 in exciting style.) England thus took the lead 1-0, and the psychological advantage that went with it.

They finished the series winners by 2-0.