Letter: Hand for the winner

Sir: It is typical of the miserable nationalism that afflicts sports reporting that, in The Independent's valedictory material on the fourth Test, there was no analysis of Australia's superiority, but only concentration on the predicament of Gooch (nothing wrong with that as part of the reporting). I'd like to have read some praise of Border's side on three special counts: the variety and accuracy of their bowling - I was astounded at what seamers and spinners could actually make the ball do; the orthodoxy and concentration of their batting; and their running between the wickets - by running the first one fast, in contrast to the English ambling, they probably widened the gap between the two teams by about 60 runs per Test match.

Yours sincerely,

BRIAN STONE

London W8

28 July