College boys ready to bowl America over once again

NORMALLY the New York summer lingers like an unwanted late-night party straggler until just after the US Open champions are crowned in Queens.

But Tropical Storm Irene (née Hurricane) cracked the heat like no regular thunderstorm could ever hope to and sent autumn leaves tumbling ahead of schedule.

Unlike in Ireland where summer is a rumour and winter is always lurking like an all too obvious mugger, this is a season relished in America to a degree that is incomprehensible to our Western Europe sensibilities.