[blml] There they're

[David Burn]

This has nothing to do with the Laws of bridge at all. But I would be
grateful for any response, though you do not have to bother.

In a report of an international basketball game between the newly-founded
People's Republic of Myunklstan and the strongly-fancied Allovia, the
following sentences appear:

Myunklstan played superbly. [blank1] defended particularly well, and all of
[blank2] players contributed to the victory.

Would you, if you were writing the report, replace [blank1] by "It" or by
"They"? Would you replace [blank2] by "its" or by "their"? Having made your
choice, would you consider the alternative: (a) perfectly acceptable; (b)
wrong but not objectionably so; (c) illiterate?

David Burn
London, England