Letter: Just not cricket

Sir: No doubt Mr Blacker intended to invoke disgust with his article bemoaning the demise of "the chap" ("The chap - a species on the verge of extinction", 27 August). His display of snobbery and sexism provides us with the very reason to hail the "going native" of the MCC. Pity must be felt for such men who have only ever dined in the company of "twittering" women with little more to their repertoire than "infernal recipes and relationships". Introducing women to Lord's should confound this stereotype and do much to educate men of a similar mind.

I do agree with Mr Blacker on one point. Perhaps the chap is worthy of preservation in some form. I suggest some sort of museum display. This will leave the rest of us, "the unwashed, the publicly educated, the female and the plain ordinary" to get on with living in the real world and enjoying a jolly good game of cricket.

MS S FREESTONE

Magherafelt, Northern Ireland