Match abandoned! That's it. We are done here. The rain is just too unrelenting to allow any mop-up to begin, even though the best of the day's weather is actually on the horizon. C'est la vie. It's off to Chelmsford for the series decider on Wednesday.

2.43pm "Stick a fork in it," says Valkerie, as the heavens open to unleash another purple-patch of apocalyptic precipitation. It's dank and horrid, and that 4.43pm cut-off is now exactly two hours away...

Valkerie informs me that "three ducks (Mallards, I believe) just flew over the covers. Didn't stop for a swim so I'm not sure what that says"... too wet for ducks. It sounds inauspicious, tbh

Tara: "What's the rain situation? I'm just starting to log in to the IPL final...hope the game starts soon here too." Indeed, I don't think you'll have much competition in the immediate future!

2.14pm Well now... what's this I hear from the front line? "It's turned ugly out there again," says Valkerie. "Covers coming back onto the small part of the square that had had them pulled back briefly. Sky looking grubby again... tell me if this starts getting boring... raining again!

Next inspection at 3pm

2.08pm Well, the inspection time has been and gone... but whatever they've decided may be academic, because I reckon there's another juicy deluge just itching to unleash ... give it 10 minutes for the full majesty to unfurl...

1.36pm Back to bright sunshine. One of those days. Super sopper emerges yet again. Pitch inspection still scheduled for 2pm. It is definitely brighter weather in prospect, though all things are relative.

maddog: "Hey Miller. using your seaweed, would you say this is a washout today?" Well, I think there will be just enough rain at sufficiently infrequent intervals to keep everyone on tenterhooks until 4.43pm. Which, Valkerie informs me, is the ultimate cut-off time for a resumption. So no!

1.17pm "Umbrellas up, rain has arrived," says Valkerie. Yes, I know already. I could feel the moisture rising in my bones.

"Very heavy!" she adds. Really? You shock me!

1.14pm "You'll be delighted to hear there's a big dirty cloud looming right overhead now," says Valkerie. Well, delighted only in that I like being proven right... you can't say it wasn't anticipated!

This, meanwhile, was then... I suspect something similar will be happening now!

1.04pm It's very sunny now and mopping up is under way. If no further rain a pith inspection will be held at 2pm ... which, coincidentally, is about when it is due to start bucketing again. Daft sport. In fact, it's probably incoming in about 20 minutes ...

12.52pm The super-sopper is back on the covers. It's a "mammoth" task, says Valkerie, who is not feeling overly optimistic right now. And fair enough, frankly, given the rain still to come.

12.30pm "Raining again," says Valkerie. It's as if it's foretold... the planned inspection has been postponed. The new time is TBA...

12.18pm There will be an inspection at 1.15pm if no further rain. Though, of course, the next band of rain is scheduled for almost exactly then...

We're seeing live pictures, and there are still huge puddles in the outfield. Swear I saw a goldfish in one of them. Ho hum... we sit and wait!

12.11pm The super-sopper is out, which is a vague sign of progress. Though it has an awful lot of work to do. "Huge puddle on the outfield," says Valkerie. At least the sun is out.

11.35pm It is thoroughly minging out there, puddles already forming on the outfield, so even if it abates soon, the clean-up will take some time. Might as well walk the dog, there's nothing to see here for a while!

Rain stops play... I'm afraid it was only ever a matter of time... the covers are coming on, and even if this isn't the longest stoppage, there's plenty more coming up behind it.

In fact, the plenty more is upon us already... "LASHING!" declares Valkerie Baynes, hopefully from somewhere more solid than a portacabin these days.

Raji: "Hope Wyatt opens and Maia comes in at 3. Heather has to slot her at 5. Eng needs to score more runs in powerplay.." I think Bouchier is the incumbent for the T20 World Cup, so familiarity of position is a priority