Boycott's quiet 80th birthday with wife, daughter at Yorkshire castle

Sir Geoffrey Boycott

Sir Geoffrey Boycott celebrated his 80th birthday on Wednesday in a Yorkshire castle with his wife Rachael, daughter Emma, her husband Jeff and grandson Joshua.

Had it not been for the lockdown, the England batting great might have had a larger celebration but Boycott sounded delighted over a low-profile birthday party.

He also threw in a cricketing comparison to COVID-19. "I faced some of the fastest of bowlers, but this [pandemic] is more dangerous because I could at least see those bowlers and what they unleashed; not so in this case," he remarked.

Boycott sought special permission to travel to the castle and will return to his Boston Spa home today.

He has not given up his admirable habit of calling a spade a spade. Earlier this month, he tweeted: "Early birthday present. Soon to be 80, my state pension is to increase by 25 pence a week!! Which gormless idiot thought that one up. How's it going to help ? Can't even buy a packet of chewing gum for that."

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