‘Yorkshire’s greatest’ Boycott bowled over by letter from David Cameron

But Geoffrey Boycott and his followers have begged to differ with the Prime Minister.

Mr Hague was a distingushed Foreign Secretary and very nearly a Prime Minister.

He was even suggested as a contender for a Nobel Peace prize for his work to try to end sexual violence in war zones.

But in some quarters that hardly measures up to 108 caps for England and 8,000-plus test runs in a successful cricketing career.

Boycott, noted for his tenacity as a batsman and for not holding back in his career as a pundit, queried the choice on Twitter.

So maybe it’s no great surprise that Mr Cameron, busy with all the great affairs of state, took time out to write to a man revered in Yorkshire as ‘Sir Geoffrey’.

Mr Cameron was spoiled for choice.

He has been inundated with alternative suggestions including former umpire Dickie Bird and tourism chief Gary Verity, the man behind the Grand Départ.

He announced Mr Hague, who was born in Rotherham and represents Richmond, North Yorkshire, in Parliament, as his choice when he addressed Conservative members in Birmingham last week, calling him an “amazing parliamentarian” and “our greatest living Yorkshireman”.

This prompted a feverish debate, in which Boycott was himself glad to take part, accusing the PM of suffering a “lapse in memory”.

But Boycott was gracious on Twitter last night. He announced: “Lovely letter arrived this morning from the Prime Minister regards Greatest Living Yorkshireman debate – he has a great sense of humour!”