"By the time you get back, they will be all out" - Geoffrey Boycott thinks England batsmen are highly vulnerable against top-quality fast bowling
Former England batsman Sir Geoffrey Boycott has spoken out about the national team's humbling loss to South Africa in the first Test at Lord's. Boycott said that watching England face fast bowling makes him nervous, fearing they'll fold quickly.
South Africa consigned England to their first loss of the Test summer as the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The Proteas' pace quartet ran riot as they took 18 out of 20 wickets to bowl England out for below 200 in both innings of the match, within three days.
RESULT | SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY AN INNINGS AND 12 RUNS
🚨 RESULT | SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY AN INNINGS AND 12 RUNS
An exceptional performance from start to finish by the entire team‼️
The bowlers sealing the victory by skittling England for 149 in the second innings to take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series 👌
#ENGvSA #BePartOfIt https://t.co/WJd1eJ8P86
In his column for The Telegraph, Boycott stated that England's unpredictability against pace bowling makes him not want to go anywhere.
"At the moment when you watch England face fast bowling, you don't want to get up and make a cup of tea or go for a pee because if you do, by the time you get back, they will be all out."
The 81-year-old also warned against the usage of the term 'Bazball' moving forward and lashed out at the English batters for being reckless against the South African pacers in swing-friendly conditions.
"Also, let's have no more talk about Bazball otherwise there will be more days like Friday. Trying to attack Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Anrich Nortje bowling over 90mph with a new conker when it was zipping around in the first innings was madness. Just staying in would have been tough for most of us batsmen."
The term 'Bazball' has come to denote an aggressive style of play where the batsman remain intent on scoring regardless of the situation. Even though England coach Brendon McCullum (from whose nickname - Baz - the term is derived) has expressed his unhappiness with this term, it remains popular in the media.
It is notable that England won all four Tests of their home summer, prior to the match against South Africa, while playing in the aggressive mode that 'Bazball' is supposed to prescribe. However, their plans came a cropper against a Proteas bowling attack that is endowed with skill and pace.
Kagiso Rabada picked up seven wickets in the Test, while Anrich Nortje got six as the visitors won by an innings and 12 runs. Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen also chipped in with decent efforts.
It's worth noting that England batsmen could collectively score only had one half-century in the Test, with Ollie Pope making a fighting 73 in the first innings.
"It is not a crime to defend or be patient and see off the new ball" - Sir Geoffrey Boycott
The cricketer-turned-commentator urged England's top-order batters to be patient and see off the new ball as it's a tried and tested method. Boycott, known for his dogged style of batting in his day, explained:
"It is not a crime to defend or be patient and see off the new ball, or for middle order batsmen to play themselves in before they start to attack. It is what people have been doing for 200 years and it seemed to work pretty well for a reason."
Early shout .. Test could finish today ..
It will be interesting to see whether England take a more modest approach to batting in the next Test. It won't be a surprise if they stick to the formula that worked for them against New Zealand and India earlier this summer.
On the other hand, with a dominant win in the first Test, the Proteas have consolidated their top spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. Having beaten another top team, India, at home earlier this year, a series win in England will cement South Africa's position as a top Test side in world cricket.