Mike Howat: bowling at Geoffrey Boycott

I played fifty years of village cricket interrupted very briefly for three years or so when good fortune and generous selection saw me appear in first-class cricket for Cambridge University and (sporadically) for Gloucestershire 2nd XI. So, as a cricket enthusiast, I found myself on the same pitch as some of the greats of the game in the late 1970s such as Ian Botham, Viv Richards, Mike Procter and Allan Border.

Few from that time had more varied opinions surrounding them than the legendary Geoffrey Boycott, against whom I came to play twice. The first time was at Cambridge in 1977. Not unreasonably, Geoffrey saw games against the Universities as times for early season practice and opportunities to add to his vast array of first-class hundreds. When (to the unbridled delight of Charlie Bannister who was the successful bowler) we had the temerity to bowl him out for a paltry 59, our punishment was to be sentenced to remain in the field until we bowled Yorkshire out. On a flat Fenner’s track this took a not inconsiderable time, as Geoffrey repaired to the nets for interminable practice against anyone who was willing (or ordered) to bowl at him. At lunch on the third day he leaned over to our captain, Alastair Hignell, mischievously saying, ‘Pass the cheese Ali – you can’t have all of that as well as all the fielding.’

The second time I found myself bowling at Boycott was in the Benson and Hedges Cup for the Combined Universities at The Parks in Oxford in 1980. One of my balls flew a little and went past Bill Athey’s shoulder. Geoffrey tapped me on the back and told me he’d be staying at the non-striker’s end. “I’ll be facing enough of that type of carry on lad, wi’ Andy Roberts and t’West Indies this summer.” Any sense that he was comparing me to their fearsome attack was swiftly removed by his guttural laugh, signifying the irony of the comment.

He went on to get 60 odd not out, displeased with us, I suspect, for dropping Bill Athey – thus depriving Geoffrey of the Gold Award. I still regard it as a privilege to have been able to bowl at one of the game’s great opening bats. Because he was so orthodox, at least you felt if you bowled a decent ball it would be blocked. Bowling at David Gower was a different story – as I ran into him I always had the confident thought that anything I delivered was likely to disappear to the boundary, although he seemed more inclined to settle for a quick-fire half century against us before a well-earned rest in the pavilion.

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