Heavy rain left the ground underwater to rule out any prospect of play and by lunchtime the match had been abandoned as a draw, the sixth Lancashire game this season to be affected by poor weather. They have two matches left, against Durham at Old Trafford a week on Wednesday followed by a tough trip to the Rose Bowl to finish against Hampshire.
Over on the east coast, a washout at Scarborough suited neither side. Yorkshire and Middlesex remain in the relegation places at the foot of Division One, and have now played a game more than Nottinghamshire, who lie third from bottom. Both have still to host Notts, starting with Middlesex at Lord’s on Wednesday.
The 120th Scarborough Festival was set up to witness a result with Yorkshire requiring another 236 for victory with all their second innings wickets in hand. “I thought we had worked our way into a wonderful position and could have gone on to win the match,” said a rueful David Byas, Yorkshire’s director of cricket.
In the Second Division, Leicestershire and Somerset did make it on to the field for a time at Grace Road where the home side clawed their way back into the contest on the second day. Nick Walker took his fourth wicket of the innings and another for David Masters left the visitors an uneasy 113 for five when bad light stopped play.
No play was possible on the final day between Derbyshire and Northamptonshire.