Heavy rain throughout the third day in Essex ended any hopes of play.
Persistent and frequently heavy rain at Chelmsford meant no play was possible on the third day of the crunch Rothesay County Championship relegation match between Essex and Surrey.
Umpires Nigel Llong and Mike Burns finally made the inevitable decision to send everyone home at 5/07pm as the first meaningful band of rain of the summer settled over the ground for much of a miserable day. The protective covers across the square were not removed until mid-afternoon to enable a mopping-up operation. That was only the prelude to more downpours, more inspections and the covers going back on for good.
Resuming on 51/4, still trailing by 45 runs, Surrey know an important morning session is key in securing a positive result in an important game as the business end of the season approaches.
