Warwickshire's hopes of improving their position in the Division One danger zone took a blow with a washout on the first day of their LV County Championship match against Lancashire at Edgbaston.
Rain, which wrecked the NatWest Pro40 League fixture with Middlesex on the previous evening, returned in a succession of heavy showers until umpires Trevor Jesty and John Steele ruled out any play - ironically with the sun shining - at 3.30pm.
With Warwickshire second from bottom on their return to the top flight after a year's absence, this is their last chance to register a win in a run of six consecutive home games in a lop-sided fixture list.
From next week, when they travel to meet Hampshire at the Rose Bowl, they will be on the road for seven of their remaining nine matches.
When the Lancashire game eventually gets under way, captain Ian Westwood is expected to return after missing the Pro40 fixture because of a sore throat.
