Born to run: how sporting seasons determine success

Is life really a doddling cinch if you're born in the right place at the right time? Perhaps, but not in British sport, argues Frank Keating. After half a day's work poring over parchmenty old reference books in proving it, Keating in the Guardian says it's all down to whether your birthday falls in the football or cricket season that dictates sporting prowess.

Take Wisden's list of England's all-time top-scoring Test batsmen – from Gooch's 8,900 runs to Thorpe's 6,744 via Stewart, Gower, Boycott, Atherton, Cowdrey, Hammond, Hutton and Barrington. All but three were born during British summer time (this year from 29 March to 25 October) – Atherton (born 23 March, by less than a week), Cowdrey in December, Barrington in November. Still, seven out of 10 makes for a fairly conclusive argument. On second thoughts, make that eight out of 10, because Cowdrey was born at Ootacamund on Christmas Eve 1932 in the very middle of a literal Indian summer. In fact, make it nine out of 10 because dear Kenny B, Berkshire-born soldier's son, always told you he'd actually been conceived under the southern stars of Africa when ma and pa were garrisoning the Empire.