THE weather has so far transformed England's June and July into any one of the three seasons but certainly not the summer they are supposed to be. After Tuesday's sunshine at Lord's, it was back yesterday to frustrate some 10,000 hardy supporters at the Rosebowl, England's newest international venue - and one young West Indian.
Heavy rain the previous day and night and through the morning and into the afternoon left the outfield so sodden it was a wonder umpires David Shepherd and Darrel Harper considered it would ever be fit enough to start the last, if meaningless, qualifying match in the NatWest Trophy between the West Indies and New Zealand.
Those who bravely remained on for almost six hours were finally cheered by the sight of the covers being cleared, the players coming onto the ground to knock up and 4.32 pm announced as the start of a match reduced to its minimum of 20 overs a side.
It was too good to be true.
Even as the toss was conducted in the middle with all the usual televised pomp, and won by Brian Lara, a heavy, dark cloud that had long since approached ominously from the south was dumping yet another heavy shower on the area. It lasted for 10 minutes or so, enough for the umpires to finally abandon a match they and the ground staff had given every chance to get going.
It was the second of the 10 scheduled in the qualifying round eliminated without a ball bowled. Another was stopped before the requisite overs could be completed. All three involved New Zealand.
For all the disappointment of spectators from the region for whom this was the one international fixture prior to the ICC Champions' Trophy in September, no one would have followed the day's proceedings as keenly or as nervously as Darren Sammy.
The 20-year-old all-rounder had waited in vain through the previous five NatWest Series matches for his opportunity to be the first St.Lucian to represent the senior West Indies team.
He was the only member of the squad of 15 not chosen in the final eleven - until yesterday for a contest with no bearing on qualification for tomorrow's final for which both teams had already booked their places. As the final shower swept across the Rosebowl, one flag was sadly raised among the umbrellas in one corner of the ground. It was the flag of St.Lucia.
Sammy, a surprise choice for this tour, is one of the three players, along with Ian Bradshaw and Ricardo Powell, disbanded after the NatWest Series ends tomorrow, to be replaced for the four Tests by Omari Banks, Pedro Collins, Fidel Edwards and Sylvester Joseph who arrive from the Caribbean today.
Sammy's chance is likely to come again. But he was within minutes of creating a piece of history when the elements intervened yesterday.