THERE will be no need for any dramatic long silences following the words: "And the BBC sports personality of the year is." Even if Andy Murray or Tim Henman were to win Wimbledon, the very fact that the charisma-challenged Nigel Mansell won the BBC award twice means Lewis Hamilton is a cast-iron certainty.

Perhaps a British Wimbledon winner would force the votes to be counted, but with Murray struggling for fitness we know it's not going to happen. Henman has had his day and time is almost up for Colin Montgomerie, who would doubtless poll a few votes if he won the US Open, or better still THE Open.

But there are no other British sports people who can support an outstanding achievement with sufficient popularity to challenge Hamilton. Kevin Pietersen, for example, might score three triple centuries against India, but it wouldn't be enough because he's South African and his personality lacks the warmth and spontaneity of his batting.

I observed a few weeks ago that we were going to hear an awful lot more about young Lewis, and after his maiden Formula One win in Montreal he's in danger of being labelled a threat to the planet for consuming so much newsprint.

Regardless of what happens for the rest of the Grand Prix season, to have been on the podium in his first six races at the age of 22 is phenomenal. He now heads for Indianapolis, having single-handedly revived a sport which reached its nadir there two years ago when seven teams refused to race on the grounds of tyre safety.

It did nothing for the popularity of the sport in America and the Indianapolis race does not have a contract beyond this season. That will soon change, and when the Hamilton Show comes to Silverstone there will not be a spare bed to be had in Northamptonshire.

THE reigning BBC Sports Personality, of course, is Zara Phillips, or as the Stroud News referred to her this week, Minchinhampton's Zara Phillips.

While this may be dismissed as being typical of the parochialism of local newspapers (as in Hartlepool man dies at sea following the sinking of the Titanic) it does help to project the image of Zara as a local lass made good as opposed to a pampered royal.

She is, however, a standard bearer and gets no sympathy from me for going backside over tiara when riding a horse named Tsunami at Bramham last weekend.

IT WAS quite a shock to discover that Michael Vaughan had become the most successful England captain with his 21st Test win. Although the number of Tests has considerably increased in the last ten years, for 21 to put him out in front doesn't seem to say much for the rest.

The problem is that the most outstanding captains, such as Mike Brearley and Brian Close, were not good enough players to be Test regulars. Close perhaps should have been, and it's one of life's mysteries that he remains the youngest England debutant, at 18, yet his final appearance, at 45, earned him only his 22nd cap.

There are three Australian captains with more wins than Vaughan, starting with Allan Border, who took most of the credit for transforming them from a moderate team following the ravages of the Kerry Packer Circus into world-beaters.

His record was 32 wins from 93 games, but he handed over such a successful team that Mark Taylor was able to record 26 wins from 50 and Steve Waugh had 41 from 57.

Clive Lloyd won 36 out of 74 for the West Indies and Viv Richards followed up with 27 from 50, but they had the advantage over England captains of being great players in charge of great teams.

THE comparisons between Lewis Hamilton and Tiger Woods are inevitable as both are black role models in their sports with winning personalities in every sense. Which one will be to the fore this weekend remains to be seen, but it appears that those of us keen to see how Tiger deals with the ferocious links of Carnoustie next month might be disappointed. His baby is due on July 12 so he might not be there. There's hope yet for Monty.