England’s world-beating cricketers are suffering the curse of nation’s gilded few | Tanya Aldred

As the global football and rugby union triumphs of 1966 and 2003, and now Lord’s last year show, time is not always kindOutside, it is cinereous and damp; February creeps in without an ode to anything, least of all joy. But somewhere, surely, the Cricket World Cup final is being replayed. On Tuesday England men’s cricket team play their first ODI since that magical Sunday last July when the bubbles flowed and the sun cranked up and the burnt-orange bricks of the Lord’s pavilion shouted “England” – though in a carefully non-xenophobic way.When a tied champagne super over gave England victory by…