Ashes washout once again raises question of rain’s impact on cricket

In English folklore, there is a myth attributed to Saint Swithun, who died in 863 AD. In the last 10 years of his life, he was Bishop of Winchester, and requested that he should be buried outside the north wall of his cathedral “where the sweet rain of heaven may fall upon my grave.”

A century later, church reformers made him patron of the cathedral. On July 15, 971, his remains were moved and an indoor shrine built to him. Records suggest that a heavy shower occurred on that day.

Another source records that a great storm took place on that day in 1315. Either way, a myth was born. If rain falls on July 15, St Swithun’s day, it is expected to fall on the following 40 days and nights, although how widespread is unspecified. There is no statistical significance to the claim and much evidence to dispel it.

However, those who support the English men’s cricket team might feel that the myth has resonance. In parts of England there was rain late in the day on July 15, 2023 and on subsequent days. The fourth Ashes Test began on July 17 in Manchester. There, rain stayed away for the first three days. On the fourth day, it arrived to curtail play, with England in a dominant position. The final day was abandoned because of rain, the match declared a draw. Victory for England would have placed the series at 2-2, with a fifth and deciding match scheduled for the Oval, London, starting on July 27. An exhilarating climax to the series was denied. Disappointingly, more rain is forecast for the Oval.

So, once again, talk has turned to measures which could be enacted to counter the pernicious influence of rain on cricket. A previous column (Nov. 4, 2022) discussed the economics and feasibility of retractable roofs. Existing stadia do