sports letters

Women at Twickenham

Sir: What "hallowed turf"? I would like to inform Glenn Moore ("Twickenham's hallowed turf to resound to football boots", 18 February) that Twickenham has indeed been used for something "other than rugby union".

As a schoolgirl in Twickenham during the war, our own playing field having been carved up for the erection of air raid shelters, I used to cross the tracks regularly to the rugby union ground to play hockey.

It has, therefore, already been used for an elegant game played by ladies.

AUDREY ALLEN

Hereford

19 February

Skill takes a knock

Sir: From Glenn Moore's, Mike Rowbottom's and Ken Jones' analysis of the England/Italy game you could easily be forgiven for thinking that only Matt Le Tissier took to the field for the home side. The tradition of knocking skill players lives on.

You get magic from skill players, not workhorses. Ken Jones' muddled mind produced this gem: "England could not be faulted for their commitment in the second half, but, when it came to technical accomplishment they were inferior to the opposition." So what do Messrs Moore, Rowbottom and Jones advocate? Drop Le Tissier. He's had his day. Let him join the long line of talent that England have lost over the decades and foreign managers would have given half their squads for.

R W BAYLEY

Hampton

Middlesex

13 February

Fuss over Guscott

Sir: In Ireland we used to believe that we had a monopoly on committing hari-kiri at the international rugby selection table. We were wrong. The English rugby selectors, by their continuing to ignore the sublime skills of Jeremy Guscott in favour of the out-of-his class Philip de Glanville, provide proof that the disease is rampant.

JOHN O'SHEA,

Monkstown, Ireland

17 February

Broadside for broadcasting

Sir: Now that our brave lads in New Zealand have re-discovered the art of winning Test matches, is it too much to ask that BBC Radio re-discovers the art of cricket broadcasting?

The BBC pioneered the 'ball-by-ball' commentary many years ago and Test Match Special became an institution, but it has to be said that its application to the task has been lacking recently (of our brave lads).

Please - no more Shipping Forecasts, Open University, chopping the last 15 minutes before lunch for ephemeral trivia like Parliament etc. Let us celebrate our return to winning ways by re-instating "ball-by-ball'' commentaries for the whole of the play as per the original, brilliant idea.

GEOFFREY COBB

Prestbury, Cheshire

18 February

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