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Spectator sport

Alastair Cook is world class. Steven Gerrard isn’t

This country does not produce footballers of the first rank

26 July 2014

9:00 AM

26 July 2014

9:00 AM

This time last year, England’s cricketers were 2-0 up against Australia, two thirds of the way towards their third consecutive series victory in sport’s longest-established international contest. Not quite top of the world, they were nevertheless a good team in the prime of life. The winter before, they had beaten India on their dusty pitches, quite an achievement.

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