Wikipedia:WikiProject Cricket/Peer review/Geoffrey Boycott

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[edit] Geoffrey Boycott

Hoping to put this up for FAC when all the issues are sorted. Just completed a copy edit, and would like to know what more work needs to be done. Thanks SGGH speak! 13:43, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

On a very quick look, it seems a very good article. I did notice a typo in citation 75, where the "y" is missing from "Geoffrey". I think that the article would benefit from a photo of Boycott at the start, right after the infobox. Did he actually write the books that appeared under his name, or were they ghosted? JH (talk page) 19:03, 31 May 2008 (UTC)
I believe they were ghosted. I got his Bloody Paradise one from the library many years back and I'm sure he collaborated with some guy at The Sun or wherever. Although I don't recall a bimbo on page three. BlackJack | talk page 19:18, 31 May 2008 (UTC)
A few more points. "Test" should be capitalised. There are five Wisden Cricketers of the Year each year, so it should be "a" rather than "the". As for his occupying the crease "sometimes for days", I'm not sure that even Boycott ever batted through two or more whole days, so I'd delete the phrase.
He did, and he once batted one every day of a test match. I have addressed the test->Test issue, and the "a" SGGH speak! 08:47, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Comments from the random reading of sections

I guess I should add my usual disclaimer here. Several of the comments are opinions and may not be worth acting upon, in which case feel free to skip them. Tintin 09:26, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

  • After a low scoring series of warm up matches, he hit 73 in the opening test, and another 76 in the fourth, averaging 46.99 and taking three wickets with the ball by the end of England's unsuccessful tour - why unsuccessful
    • They were defeated, I'll make this more clear. SGGH speak! 08:59, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
      • Wait. My point was that England did not lose the series. We are talking about the 1964-5 tour to South Africa here and England won that 1-0. It was the return series in 1965 that England lost. Btw, Boycs also hit a 117 in the fifth Test. Tintin 09:19, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
    • Ahh I see, okay I'll fix that. SGGH speak! 10:24, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
  • Speculation arose over his place, and after a duck and a two hour and twenty minute long 16 he was dropped and replaced by Eric Russell. - not enough context (third Test, I guess). (Btw, it is 2:20 as per Wisden, but 1:50 according to CI)
  • I have added a bit of context, but there isn't too much, it already has his scores and things, I have just added what Wisden thought of his knock. SGGH speak! 12:57, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
  • He hit a form of "brighter cricket" during the first and second tests, hitting a high score of 84 and taking wickets with the ball. - 84 in 4 hours and 234 balls. Not a good example for bright cricket
  • Fixed, better explained. SGGH speak! 12:53, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
  • Boycott's highest Test score of 246* came against India in June 1967 on his home ground of Headingley, but he was dropped for the next match for slow scoring and selfish attitude. - Considering that almost all the Test innings upto this point has found a mention, the circumstances and controversy over the 246* deserves more space.
  • A back injury in 1967 forced Boycott to miss half the season, and an average of 32 against the Australians during the ashes was unspectacular with Boycott not once passing 50. Domestically, his injury also limited his contribution, however he did hit five centuries before he was forced to stop playing in June. -

there is apparently a change of season here from 1967 to 1968 but the reader is not informed.

  • While he was left out of the first three tests against the World XI, he played in the fourth and scored 15 and 64, and in the summer final of the competition scored 157. - 157 was in the final Test of the series, not summer final of the competition
    • Sorted.
  • Till this point, almost every Test innings gets a mention but there is nothing much else. Would be good to add more meat to it, even otherwise, it is probably better to skip the insignificant matches and series altogether than mentioning the scores.


  • and his slowest scores, with strike rates in the low 40s, remain par with the slowest strike rates of Michael Atherton (36.9 at Edgbaston in 1998) and Tim Robinson (27.2 at Old Trafford in 1987). - this is a very arbitrary comment and random choice of innings. What is the point being made here ?
    • I didn't choose the innings. McKinstry does, I have attributed the comments to him.
  • Peter Lever also spent an entire evening discussing with Boycott his vulnerability when playing the hook stroke, with which he was to get out on more than one occasion.[22] - out of context in the place where this is included Tintin 02:41, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
    • Supposed to illustrate his technique and any issues with it, in keeping with the rest of the paragraph, but I agree it is a little out of place, shall I just say he was vulnerable to getting out playing the hook? SGGH speak! 08:59, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
I put your points into bullets so I can organise myself more easily, hope you don't mind. SGGH speak! 10:29, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
  • Comment - Nice work.
  • However, needs a "fresh eyes" c-e, as I can see numerous glitches and unexplained incidents of jargon.
  • Also needs to be reviewed for citations - every major claim needs a "says who" approach before FAC.
  • I've tagged a couple such.
    • Done these two, all cited in the cite of the next sentence but I have made it clearer
  • Technique section: Nice for an article for Wisden, but too detailed for Wikipedia.
    • I'll trim it down

--Dweller (talk) 11:05, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Hope you don't mind me bullet pointing for ease of comment. SGGH speak! 13:35, 3 June 2008 (UTC)