The skies are telling a miserable story I'm afraid which is bleak.

The rain is not massively heavy but there's a distinct possibility that it's going to get heavy.

It was very entertaining and a lot of fun for 15 overs.

No respite for the scorers as Karun Nair goes back to Adam Lyth's first ball and lifts him over mid-off for his second four.

He and Ricardo Vasconcelos trade singles before Nair goes inside out to hit Lyth over extra cover for another four.

He glances a single off his hip to keep the strike for the next over and move to 35 off 27 balls.

Eleven from the over. The partnership is up to 61 off 52 balls.

Karun Nair is leading a charmed life as he takes a risky single and sneaks home.

Four from the Adam Lyth over.

He then goes big pulling a length ball from Matt Revis for six.

A single follows. Dot. And then Ricardo Vasconcelos hammers another blow, this time through point for his ninth four to move to 81.

Eleven from the over.

Jake Lintott is doing his customary toss of ball from hand to hand ready for his first trot up today, but Ian Blackwell removes the bails as a smattering of rain appears.

Could that be curtains and Lancs very lucky to escape with a draw from a game they have been massively outplayed in?

Alex Davies looks gutted, what more could he have done this match.

Like that last summer Ashes test here, but this time the home side are saved not robbed!

Adam Lyth is bowling well here, trying to apply the brakes.

His first five balls cost just three singles but the good work is spoiled with four leg byes off the last to Ricardo Vasconcelos who has 74.

The rate is just above six an over.

Beautiful drive through the covers off Matt Revis brings Karun Nair three more.

Revis then drops short down leg and Ricardo Vasconcelos helps the ball on its way to the third man boundary.

Ten runs from that one and the target is under 200. Thirty overs to go.

Revis has gone for 25 from three overs.

Could today be Tom Bruce's time to shine?

A signing and player I really rate and have been sad to see struggle.

He has just taken Jacob Bethell for four then six into the stands.

28* off 19 balls for the kiwi thus far.

Hurst 6* off eight balls.

A maiden over from Jack Carson to Henry Brookes and that is tea at the home of cricket.

A total of1157 runs have been scored in this game and 18 wickets taken - that's an average of 64.27 per wicket.

Carson has bowled 53 overs in this innings for figures of 4-164 - his fingers must be aching.

Huge miss there from Jonny Tattersall!

Karun Nair has to run around Adam Lyth as he runs back for a second off the part-time spinner's bowling.

The ball is thrown to the wicketkeeper who collects, turns and swishes at the stumps, but somehow misses! Nair was way out of his ground. Massive let-off.

Nair rubs further salt in the wound by taking four more from Lyth's final ball.

Seven from the over - 208 needed.

With no outcome other than a draw possible, the umpires call an end to the match during the latest rain stoppage.

Both sides take 13 points apiece for the draw.

Image source, Rex Features

Rob Yates came on before Jake Lintott, the Bears have a lot of spin bowling options in this match, Dan Mousley another not to be used yet in this innings.

Matty Hurst has been in form of late (and getting me much needed fantasy cricket points), will he show his more experienced, already-perished peers how they should bat in this situation?

Still going at Glos after tea by the way, but I reckon they may only have 42 minutes more play there.

Ed Middleton into his tenth over already out of the 35 in this innings.

Do not expect anymore seam bowling in this one.

Ricardo Vasconcelos continues the intent straight after tea, playing uppishly to send Jordan Thompson's first ball through the covers for two.

After a Vasconcelos single, Luke Procter then takes back-to-back twos to move Northants to three figures in the 23rd over. Seven from it.

They need 224 from 33 overs.

I make that about six-and-a-half an over to get their first win of the season.

There are 36.3 overs left to be bowled but we won't get them all.

The floodlights are on and it is raining and frankly I'd be surprised if we get any more.

There's no handshakes but we do know for certain that the game is going to end in a draw.

A single for Ethan Bamber off James Coles and Middlesex reach 600 for the 15th time in a first-class game, the fourth time against Sussex and the fifth time at Lord's.

What's left to play for? The club record score is 676-5 declared, but that might be asking a lot of their 10th-wicket pair.