Hants-Warwickshire game abandoned after rain seeps under covers

There was a shock for supporters as they made their way to the Rose Bowl at Southampton in bright sunshine for the last day of the CricInfo Championship match bewteen Hampshire and Warwickshire. They were met at the gates by officials who told them: "No play today."

The third day had been washed out by a sustained cloudburst but once the rain had gone in the early evening there was no reason to believe that play could not start on time on the fourth day.

However, umpires John Holder and Neil Mallender were left with no option than to call off the match because water had seeped under the covers and on to the pitch during the downpour.

Groundsman Nigel Gray and his staff did their best to repair the damage but it would not have been feasible to play.

A Hampshire official said: "It's a beautiful day now and just right for watching cricket but the damage has been done. A lot of people arriving at the ground could not believe it had been called off two hours before the scheduled start."

Meanwhile Hampshire pace bowler Alan Mullally, who took eight for 90 in the only completed innings, awaits news of his possible selection for England. "I have got 52 wickets now and I reckon I am bang in form. I don't know what I have to do to get in the squad but I am ready if they need me."

Hampshire were 26 for one in reply to Warwickshire's 308 all out and, in addition to the last two days being lost, a further 86 overs over the first two days also fell victim to the weather.