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'Now for the Ashes' British press heaps praise on England cricket team
LONDON (AP) -- British papers heaped praise on England's cricket squad Tuesday after a historic victory over the West Indies, with one London tabloid noting captain Nasser Hussain was in diapers during the last win. "From a tot to a king -- Nasser's crowning glory," the Sun crowed in a back-page headline accompanied by a photo of a 1-year-old Hussain taken in 1969, the last series win over the West Indies. Photos of Nasser receiving a champagne shower from his teammates Monday as he lifted the Wisden Trophy above his head dominated the back pages of nearly every major London newspaper. "We've done it!" exclaimed the Daily Mail in its headline. "Oval the moon," said the Daily Star, remarking in its story that the last win was the same year American astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. "Now for the Ashes," the Daily Express predicted in banner letters, referring to the trophy claimed by the winners of the classic series played between England and Australia every four years. England will have a chance to reclaim the Ashes from Australia next summer. England has experienced a sudden cricket renaissance just a year after being blasted by the local press as the world's worst cricket team. An estimated 18,500 fans -- nearly double the amount expected -- crowded the Oval to witness the end of the drought. Hussain bore the brunt of media criticism after a humiliating defeat last year to New Zealand, and the newspapers have followed through this year by giving the captain the credit for the team's success. "It makes me feel immensely proud, holding that trophy up in front of all those supporters," Hussain said. "The wheels might come off in the winter. We might have been poor before, but [the players] can be proud of what they've achieved."
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