Play in between the rain breaks

The relentless rainfall in the middle of summer is playing havoc with all the summer sports. It is a case of snatching some play in between the showers.

Wimbledon has been really hit with virtually no play on Saturday, so there is a big backlog building up for this week with back to back matches for many players. It is hard to build momentum with the continual stop starts and some players handle the delays better than others. It seems like the favourites in the both the mens and womens draw, Federrer and Henin respectively, are well on course but one feels that an upset or two is just what is needed, if we manage to get any play that is.

The cricket has fared slightly better with both the Twenty20 matches and ODI between England and West Indies completed. The Twenty20 matches were a great spectacle and lived up to their billing for fast paced entertainment. The Windies showed much better form, winning the first, with England learning some lessons and coming back to win the second one. The attraction for this form of the game is growing and the 50 overs format is going to have to do some major tinkering and not just minor adjustments that were announced by the ICC, if it is not to be overtaken.

It was quite a miracle to get the ODI match at Lords underway after all the heavy rainfall the previous days and that is thanks to the new drainage system at the ground. The conditions were loaded in favour of the bowlers, for a change, with overcast conditions and England posted a reasonable total. England had talked of stepping up the pace and using the power plays but that was not in evidence as they started slowly. I missed most of the match as I went to a wedding and by the time I caught up with the score, whilst driving past the ground, it was nearly all over with another batting collapse by the Windies. That was a shame as I was tempted to sneak in to Lords to watch the final few overs. Just when it looked like the Windies were competing, they showed the fragility that has dogged them for the tour. Englands bowlers have improved greatly, judging by the low numbers in the extra column. It seems that Alan Donald is having a positive effect and could see his short contract extended.

India completed a 2-1 series victory over South Africa, having won the final truncated match in Belfast. This was no mean feat for them in cold conditions with most of the team being struck down by illness at some stage. It is good preparation for them for the real test that awaits them in England. The batsmen seem to be shaping up well with Sachin Tendulkar showing some good form and Yuvraj coming back from injury. The bowlers have also had a useful work out that will serve them well for the England series, where the conditions will be similar. The team seem to be gelling well and playing for each other, in the absence of a coach, with the seniors playing a leading role, which is good to see. They have the big match against rivals Pakistan tomorrow, rain permitting,before departing for England.

It is all set up nicely for the much awaited series between England and India. Let us hope that the monsoon like weather relents and we have a cracking series.