The Star. WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1924. CLIMATE AND SPORT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17343, 16 July 1924, Page 6

The Star. WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1924. CLIMATE AND SPORT.

New Zealanders who are disinclined to " count their blessings ” in matter of climate might do w r ell to turn their thoughts to the present summer in England. Cablegrams received in the last day or two have certainly recorded a heat spell at last, but apparently England is just beginning to enjoy the surqmer. It has been evident for a couple of months that unusually wet weather has been experienced in England. A photograph on the front page of the “ Star " to-day show's the condition of one of the English cricket grounds when the last mail left, and since then, match after match of the South African team’s tour has been interfered with by rain. This should be borne in mind when considering the batting and bowling failures of the visitors. The South Africans play in a country where the ball comes quickly off a matting wicket. They have been playing in a land ',>•’«!. as an English w r riter says, the ball has been crawling languidly from rain-soaked turf. Many days have been so wet as to preclude any practice under these strange conditions, and this fact probably accounts for the unexpected reversal of form in the first and second innings of the tests.

The season for summer sport in England runs from May to September, usually a broken five months, which compares very unfavourably with a New Zealand or Australian summer. The marvel is that cricket has retained its hold in England, for it is very unfavourably situated in comparison with hard court tennis, and golf, for instance. Cricket must wait till the turf is dry, and even a shower will send the players in. In New Zealand, on the other hand, it is unusual to have a cricket postponement on account of rain, and the season lasts considerably beyond six months. All weather comparisons from 'a sporting point of view anpear to be unfavourable to England, and New Zealanders should be glad not only of their long summer, but of their mild winters. It would be idle to pretend that the present winter in Canterbury is not a good hit out of the ordinary, but it is not what would be called phenomenally mild for the province. There are those croakers who profess to believe that we will have to pay for it later on,” but the philosoplier will accept the mild spell as so much to the good, leaving what is to come after in the lap of the gods.