Dark storm clouds gathered over St George's Road Cricket Ground in Harrogate - just another typical summer day in England.

Evening Press photographer Garry Atkinson captured this scene yesterday during the Under 19 Test between England and Pakistan.

Heavy rain drove the teams off four times and although the one-day match was reduced to 35 overs a side the weather had the last word and the match was abandoned as a draw.

Yet another miserable summer's day wreaked havoc on summer sport in the area.

Matches in the York Open Bowls tournament were reduced in length because storms lashed the city.

The bowls international between England and Israel at Selby had to be switched indoors as the greens became swamped.

Neighbouring Selby Golf Club, however, can't get enough water. They are to install a £150,000 irrigation system at their course.

Some other clubs have reported a drop in casual players because of the weather.

Curiously, most of the rain seems to have fallen in midweek this summer.

Costcutter York and District League secretary Albert Pattison said that the league programme had been largely unaffected and that his own team, Sheriff Hutton Bridge Seconds had played each weekend this year.

It seems as though England is not the only country suffering. Tournament director Mikael Eriksson was forced to abandon play in the second round of the Volvo Scandinavian Golf Masters in Stockholm, Sweden, after just 10 minutes this morning because of torrential rain flooding the course.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.