Sports Letters: Have a heart

Sir: Your report on England's disastrous 46 all out (against the West Indies) seems to lack a sense of proportion and of its place in (recent) history.

Curtly Ambrose bowled England out on a pitch which would have disgraced even Ramprakash's school playground. But only 12 months ago, I watched Ambrose bowl out seven of Australia's much better and more experienced batsmen for one run on a perfect, if fast, Perth wicket. The howls of anguish from the Australian press were even more dreadful than Martin Johnson's.

Surely all is not lost, just as it was not for Australia, and Atherton deserves all the support he can get.

Yours faithfully,

D R CLARKE

Barton St David, Somerset

31 March