Monitor: English Cricket

All the News of the World

Response to England's defeat at the hands of the New Zealand cricket team

The Sun

DON'T PANIC, says the sports minister. English cricket will get better. What the heck does Kate Hoey know about it? She's only been in the job for two minutes. We trust Miss Hoey's opinion on cricket about as much as we trust the Honorable Tim Lamb's. Hasn't he noticed the game is dead? The one thing Miss Hoey did get right is that when you're the worst in the world, you can't go any lower. On that basis, even her performance as sports minister could improve. We reckon there's as much chance of England winning a Test though.

The express

FOR THE first time in years, the two London Test matches were not sold out. The public simply does not want to watch a spineless team. And if the same old faces carry on dishing out the same old rubbish, the game will eventually die. Deservedly.

The Daily

Telegraph

ON THE eve of the Millennium, England, which gave cricket to the world, are the eighth country in the order of merit. There are many things amiss with English cricket and no doubt superlatives will be descending on the latest version of the English XI. Despite everything, there is a deep love of cricket in this country and one trusts that better times may be on the way. (E.W.Swanton)

The Mirror

THERE HAVE got to be losers in any game and someone has to come last. But it should not be England at cricket. This country is regaining international pride at the moment, with a PM who is determined that we will once again be world leaders. How sad that at the same time our cricketers have reduce the national team to a laughing stock.