A youngster by the name of Wayne Rooney is the toast of the English premiership these days.

Shane Warne released his own label of wine last week, a strange enough concept in itself. But with new-found cheekbones glistening above an all-black ensemble of bodyshirt, pinstripe trousers and patent-leather shoes, the former fatboy of spin is looking better than ever in Melbourne and offers little cause for English optimism. ”Hopefully they’re trembling,” he said.

Few members of the athletics fraternity will either know or care where to find Jeina Mitchell these days. Twelve years ago, though, they charted her every move as she spreadeagled the best distance fields of teenaged girls in Britain. In March 1990 she won the English schools’ cross-country title by 11 seconds and four months later confirmed her superiority in the division by winning the 1 500m on the track by almost 10 seconds. On each occasion, one of those left breathless in her wake was Paula Radcliffe.