Sporting breaks

While I was away writing, I still found time in my breaks (I write 6am-8am, 10am-12noon, 2pm-4pm, and 6pm-8pm) to follow the cricket, rugby and even the motor racing. What a triumph for Lewis Hamilton - Britain has found its own Tiger Woods. Like all rugby fans I revelled in the massive victory over Wales and am looking forward to seeing how we get on against the tougher opposition of France. Despite Easter's four amazing tries, it was the cameo performance of Lawrence Dallaglio that lifted my heart - that man's adrenalin is going to be pumping right through the World Cup and heaven help the opposition.

I have never hidden the fact that cricket is my favourite sport, and I have nothing to add to the quite brilliant articles written by Michael Henderson (Daily Telegraph) and Stuart Barnes (The Times) on the subject of jelly beans. And I feel just as strongly as they do that it's fine for the wicket keeper to mutter the occasional word of support to the bowler, but to continually rabbit on like an old-fashioned 78 stuck on the same track is not my idea of sportsmanship. I am a huge admirer of Michael Vaughan and put him in the class of Mike Brearley when it comes to thoughtful, considered captaincy of the England side, so I do hope that by Thursday, when we play India for the last time and we say goodbye to Sachin Tendulkar - one of the greatest batsmen the world has ever known - that our team will behave more like Clive Lloyd's West Indian side of the '70s than England's efforts last week.