Britain's sportsmen and women put a smile on our faces

We might be sinking into the mire politically and economically as the world's financial structure hits the skids but, for the time being at least, we can all stop walking around with that eternally gloomy frown muttering 'why is Britain never any good at anything?'

For years that lament about our sporting prowess seemed to be justified as the nation seemed to be eternal also-rans in just about everything and everyone said, mournfully, '...and to think we invented..etc etc'

But suddenly all our sporting summers seemed to come at once. Perhaps it began with cricket when cheeky chappy Kevin Pietersen took over from Michael Vaughan as England captain and proceeded to lead from the front, imbuing the national side with new confidence and they hammered South Africa in the one day test series.



Then our athletes came back from Beijing with the greatest collection of medals in our modern Olympic history...way more than was anticipated. Then the disabled athletes carried on the good work finishing their games in second place.



The young Lewis Hamilton, began to burn off his Formula One opponents creating anger and friction among those overpaid children known as Formula One racing drivers and, despite a mid term hiccup, yesterday won the Chinese Grand Prix to put himself within an ace of becoming the youngest World Champion ever.



Scotland's Andy Murray beat Rafael Nadal in the semi-final of the US Open tennis only to fall to the magnificent Federer in the final - but before that he'd won his first Masters event in America beating both Federer and Novak Dkokovic to win the title. Yesterday Murray reached his second Masters final event again beating Federer. Today he won the final for his second Masters title this year and his 4th tournament victory of the year in total. He will finish the season 4th in the world, the highest place any Briton has reached at end of season since Fred Perry in 1948



And last but not least - maybe the yardstick for most people of our sporting pride - the England football team, which had looked lost, lacklustre and devoid of any clue under Steve McClaren has come alive under the quiet guidance of an Italian, Fabio Capello and has won four world cup qualifying games in a row





- and best of all, Wayne Rooney, who had looked lost, petulant and fed up for so long in an England shirt, looks inspired and enjoying his football once more.



I suppose the only fly in the ointment is the Ryder Cup team which lost to America in a terrific contest. But I reckon we can afford one dark cloud on the sporting horizon - the victorious Yanks had been on the receiving end for the previous three Ryder Cups and, after all, one of the great British traditions is to be charitable to our opponents.

So let the economy and the government go hang! National pride has been restored once more in what really matters!!