The world's two great bat and ball sports - baseball and cricket - are also the two most affected by rain.
Which wasn't a pain for Canadian cricket and some Island female players Saturday at the Americas regional qualifier in the Cayman Islands for the 2014 ICC Twenty-Twenty World Cup in Bangladesh.
Rain wiped out the championship game between ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ and the U.S. (both 4-0) with ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ declared the winner because of a higher net run rate during the tournament. That means ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ advances to next year's final round of ICC World Cup qualifying for Bangladesh 2014.
"It's very exciting for women's cricket in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½," said Shelly Boardman of Victoria, the women's co-ordinator for Cricket ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ and a former national team player.
"We are always looking to grow the game. Anything like this that gives us a higher profile is beneficial."
Kim Coulter and Joanna White of Victoria are on the Canadian team as is Maree Wilson of Victoria, who moved to New Zealand last fall. Allison Dawson of Victoria is the trainer.
Coulter and White are on the Wicket Maidens, who play in the Victoria and District Cricket Association men's midweek league. White was outstanding in the World Cup qualifier and candidate for player of the tournament.
The most intriguing player on the Canadian side, however, is the 17-year-old captain and dual citizen Mikaela Turik from Sydney, Australia. Growing up in Oz, she is well acquainted with the nuances of cricket. But Turik is also a gifted all-round athlete who has been recruited to play basketball next season for the University of Victoria Vikes.
