29 AUGUST 1998, Page 24

Batting for Labour

Sir: In writing about cricket under the heading 'Politics' (15 August), Bruce Anderson fails to draw the obvious conclu- sion: namely, that it can only be a matter of time before New Labour withdraw from their sweaty and ill-judged embrace of Eng- land's footballers and turn their belated attentions to the summer's only sporting heroes, Alec Stewart and his team. What price on Tony having a pre-Ashes tour pho- tocell with his new best friends?

James Mitchell

160 New Bond Street, London W1