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WITH GEOFF BOYCOTT
CCC's excellent victory yesterday was soured by a run out involving Edwards and Woodman. Edwards tapped the ball into a half gap at midwicket, called, then changed his mind, by which time both batsmen were stranded at the same end. Quite frankly you would never have caught me taking a single in that situation. A nice follow through and a bit of wicket prodding would have done me fine. But the cricketer of today seems cursed by the need for the "quick single", and to "keep the score ticking over". If this is to be the way the game is played then there are three cast iron things you have to take into account:
1. CLARITY OF CALLING: make your instructions clear to your team mate by shouting them clearly and decisively. Edwards got this just right, by clearly calling "YES";
2. CONSISTENCY OF CALLING: once you have made your decision, stick to it. It is OK to change your call, but not once you have started to put into action your initial call. Edwards got this wrong by following up his decisive "YES" with a decisive movement forward, followed by a decisive "NO". Unfortunately by this time he could have handed his revised instruction to his team mate on a piece of paper;
3. YOUR TEAM MATE'S AVERAGE: I remember opening the average page of the Daily Mail many a time and seeing some dandified southern ponce like Cowdrey or Graveney, or even a northern Jack-the-lad like Randall, above me in the averages. it was always my contention that if you found yourself batting with them for England in such circumstances they were fair game for a good old fashioned "mix up".
On this occasion, average topping Woodman was the unlucky batsman, being run out for 3. However, observe my observations and you will become a better batsman, like me.
BE CAUTIOUS! GEOFF
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