County Championship: No play on day two for Northants-Middlesex

Central England was hardest hit by Friday's weather, with games also called off in Bristol, Birmingham, Leicester and NottinghamImage source, BBC Sport - Andrew Radd (Radio Northampton)
Image caption,

Central England was hardest hit by Friday's weather, with games also called off in Bristol, Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham

LV= County Championship Division One, The County Ground, Northampton (day two):

Middlesex 149: Higgins 70; Sanderson 3-19, Tremain 3-34

Northamptonshire 111-3: Procter 39*

Northants (3 pts) trail Middlesex (1 pt) by 38 runs

Rain thwarted Northamptonshire's hopes of cementing their advantage against Middlesex as not a single ball was bowled on the second day at Wantage Road.

A break in the morning rain enabled the teams to warm up on the outfield, with a view to resuming soon after midday - but those plans were scuppered by darkening skies and a heavy downpour just before the scheduled start.

Umpires Nigel Llong and Steve O'Shaughnessy then provisionally announced a 16:45 BST start for this County Championship Division One clash, but they finally admitted defeat after conditions worsened in the intervening period.

Northamptonshire dominated the opening day, bowling their visitors out for just 149 before reaching 111-3 in reply, with skipper Luke Procter unbeaten on 39 and Rob Keogh 17 not out.

More rain was scheduled but the two sides are due to reconvene at 11:00 BST on Saturday morning, with 104 overs to be bowled in the day.

Match report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.