tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post2436060927486186563..comments2024-03-27T21:38:21.911-07:00Comments on The Old Batsman: 'I'm coming anyway': Batting and fearThe Old Batsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14376172807195747856noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-84084513235873140042013-03-02T02:25:38.189-08:002013-03-02T02:25:38.189-08:00Not so sure it's true that Boycott's fear ...Not so sure it's true that Boycott's fear was not of physical pain. In what Mike Selvey calls the 'pre-protection era' it required a degree of physical courage to be a batsman. Much easier to play without fear if you don't have at the back of your mind the thought that a mistimed stroke could put you in hospital. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-47416611079862395512013-02-27T15:09:34.509-08:002013-02-27T15:09:34.509-08:00Great piece OB. I do tend towards the school of th...Great piece OB. I do tend towards the school of thought that McSlogga has lucked into this era, and would have been laughed out of international cricket in Boycott's time.<br /><br />I read Boycott on Cricket t'other week and I thought the insight was magnificent, seriously good, if heavy reading.<br /><br />KUTGW@AltCrickethttp://alternativecricket.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-18462940635211279592013-02-27T13:40:33.303-08:002013-02-27T13:40:33.303-08:00Thank you, Anonymous. Boycott’s innings that day ...Thank you, Anonymous. Boycott’s innings that day would have drawn one-day superlatives in any age, and it was achieved through high class batsmanship. If he’d played with one of Brendon’s bats he would probably have made 250. The cricket writer, John Woodcock, observed at the time: <br /><br />‘I only hope that the Boycott who fastens his seat-belt at London Airport next week (for the ‘65/’66 Ashes) is the same man who made 146 against Surrey and who won the award as Man of the Match. It is quite likely that Boycott will open England's innings for a decade to come. The prospect of his doing so in his ascetic mood is hard to entertain. If prepared, as at Lord's, to chance his arm, he would give far greater pleasure to others as well as himself. Boycott used his feet to the quicker bowlers and made many fine straight hits. As usual, too, he forced anything short past cover point with the utmost relish. This, I gather, was how he used to play until he was affected by the awful seriousness of first-class cricket.’<br /><br />If only Geoffrey had continued ‘chancing his arm’.John Halliwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901514854360709519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-54723969114294938542013-02-27T13:23:41.022-08:002013-02-27T13:23:41.022-08:00Also important to remember Boycott's key skill...Also important to remember Boycott's key skill - he knew exactly where his stumps were, enabling him to leave more, survive longer. Defined his style and suited the times.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-40866126059753835922013-02-27T12:24:02.945-08:002013-02-27T12:24:02.945-08:00Especially that last line :), delightful and poign...Especially that last line :), delightful and poignant at once.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-63304696604156318612013-02-27T12:21:55.892-08:002013-02-27T12:21:55.892-08:00That's a delightful bit of advertising Mr Hall...That's a delightful bit of advertising Mr Halliwell! :). Oh to hear something like that today!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-2252202077306558052013-02-27T05:37:58.640-08:002013-02-27T05:37:58.640-08:00"Listening to Brendon, Stuart Broad might wan..."Listening to Brendon, Stuart Broad might want to rethink his slower ball bouncer..."<br /><br />Stuart Broad and think? Really! We know what will continue to happenAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13218750277969711415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-34222132742990803712013-02-27T05:01:49.663-08:002013-02-27T05:01:49.663-08:00I'm not so sure about all this. I think what ...I'm not so sure about all this. I think what it shows is that people are less afraid of getting out in a version of the game where getting out isn't a big deal, and is almost expected provided you've flung the bat about a bit first. The entire T20 game is set up to encourage that risk taking, so it's hardly a sign of courage that batsmen are doing so. <br /><br />Were McCullum to take that approach in the arena where getting out is still frowned upon - test matches - and succeed (which is pretty much what KP does when he's on form), then we could be onto something. But as it stands, talking about a player who is only any good at T20 and sometimes ODIs, I don't see it as being groundbreaking in any way.<br /><br />I like T20 for what it is, but being able to smash a ball out of the ground without any real fear of getting out isn't, in my opinion, half as impressive as the Cook/Amla/etc. innings of being able to rack up multiple hundreds over hours when the slightest mistake means you're sitting on a chair doing nothing for the next 2 days.Tim Newmanhttp://www.desertsun.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-17596830434901246672013-02-26T23:25:45.283-08:002013-02-26T23:25:45.283-08:00‘Roll up! Roll up! For one day only; never to be r...‘Roll up! Roll up! For one day only; never to be repeated. For the price of a packet of fags, come and see Geoffrey, transformed from England’s dourest since Trevor of Essex into a cross between Wally of Gloucester and the Brylcreem Boy from Middlesex. Roll up! Roll up, for a day that will live forever in the memory; for tomorrow the prince returns to being a frog!’ <br /><br />I think it went something like that outside Lords on 4th September, 1965: Gillette Cup Final: Yorkshire 317 off 60 overs at 5.28: Boycott 146. For that day, and that day only, I’m sure it was the closest Geoffrey ever got to ‘I’m coming anyway.’ <br /><br />Another great post, OB. But I was left wondering if Nick Knight had failed to return your calls.John Halliwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901514854360709519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-76162922004048123282013-02-26T19:27:33.770-08:002013-02-26T19:27:33.770-08:00Mccullum is an extraordinary batsman. He can turn ...Mccullum is an extraordinary batsman. He can turn the game with explosive batting into his team favor. New Zealand should not ignore maccullum even in Test Squad.I Love Crickethttp://khelmart.com/Cricket/Cricket-Bat.aspxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-44633363716479884162013-02-26T13:24:25.954-08:002013-02-26T13:24:25.954-08:00Mccullum is a good choice of player to show this g...Mccullum is a good choice of player to show this generational gap, as he exemplifies the qualities that New Zealand selectors have prioritised. The last batsman we had in the Boycott mould was Mark Richardson, and since he retired the test batting lineup has almost always lacked steel and the ability to play gritty innings. There is a direct correlation between this and our slide down the test rankings.Awbraaehttp://linesongrass.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com