Sports Letters: Accident of birth

Sir: Hugh Morris, the Glamorgan captain, and his family have done it all wrong. First, his parents were inconsiderate enough to have him born in Cardiff. Just as many expectant parents rush across the border into Yorkshire to ensure qualification for the county, the Morris parents should have taken the first flight to Zimbabwe, South Africa, New Zealand, anywhere but Cardiff. Morris Jnr would then have stood a far greater chance of selection for England.

Mistake number two was for Morris to choose to stay in Wales and play his cricket for Glamorgan. Those backwaters of the Empire are unknown to the likes of Ted Dexter (born in Milan). But the gravest mistake was to score 996 runs by the time the selectors sat down to name their team. If I were to offer advice to Mr Morris it would be this: string together a few low scores. Try not to get into double figures. And the odd duck wouldn't do you any harm.

Yours faithfully,

DAVID BALCOMBE

Northwood, Middlesex

30 June