``English cricket leaves its own party early,'' The Guardian wailed in a page one story, while The Times wept ``England's world is turned upside down.''

English cricket fans writhed in embarrassment over the untimely release Monday of the home team's World Cup song All Over The World, written by Dave Stewart, formerly of the music group Eurythmics. But far from rhyme, rhythm, or reason, the song struck a jarring note on a day England were kayoed.

``It takes special talent to be knocked out of the tournament before the official release of the World Cup song,'' The Guardian correspondent wrote in story headlined, `Song's timing even worse than batting.' ``For England, just `All Over' is more like it,'' another writer agonised.

English cricket writers, supreme connoisseurs of the game and skilled indescribing it, crucified their ordinary team and blasted the listless fans, recognising the utter mediocrity of the former and disinterest of the latter. ``They (the Indian crowds) brought colour to a drab day (in Birmingham) just as their enchanters made England's dull dogs look ordinary,'' the Daily Telegraph cricket correspondent wrote in his epitaph.

For the past decade, England has been a sub-standard, sub-par cricketing also ran, just about able to hold its own against the lower rung of cricketing nations. Although it is the first time in 24 years that England has failed to qualify for the latter stage of the World Cup, their decline as a cricketing force has been evident to anyone who has followed the game.

After losing to Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup semi-final, the three-time finalists have won only five of 11 games, three of them against non-Test playing nations (UAE and Holland in 1996 and Kenya in 1999) and one each against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in this competition.

There wereeditorial invectives too. ``There are honourable defeats, unfortunate defeats, and then ignominious defeats. The manner by which England's interest ended yesterday rests, unfortunately, in the final category,'' The Times said in a stinging leader.

English cricket pundits chafed at the fact that their team was going out of the tournament at the same stage as Kenya, Bangladesh, ``and, it may be noted north of the border, Scotland.'' The comparison with Scotland rankled most. ``Can it be long before all that is left of our summer game is an annual series against Scotland?'' the esteemed Times wondered in a Page One dirge, which failed to carry the rubric `Obituary of English Cricket.'

Commentators gloomily noted other consequences of England's cricketing fall at a time when football has already booted the game from the main sports page. ``Those consequences will now be apparent as television companies, commercial sponsors, and a home nation, aroused midweek to ultimate heights of passion byManchester United's tumultous victory, survey the wreckage of England's cricketing performance and turn their backs on what many will see as a lost cause,'' Daily Mail's Ian Wooldridge lamented.

English cricketing czars also dumped on captain Alec Stewart, who led his mediocre side capably despite the tactical blemish in asking India to bat first on Saturday. Stewart won the toss in all five games England played and his bowlers delivered each time. But in the two crucial games England lost, the batsmen failed to overhaul a target score of 227 (against South Africa) and 232 (against India).

The only one spared from the media lashing was outgoing coach David Lloyd who is said to brought coaching innovative methods -- which seemed to have brought no great results -- including making his team listen to stirring speeches by Winston Churchill.

Last night, the English team might have found Shakespeare more apt. Something like ``Out, out brief candle...''