Groundsmen in Grenada faced a thankless task

England's fourth one-day match against West Indies was abandoned because of rain just after the scheduled start.

It is the third match of the series to have been hit by the unseasonable bad weather sweeping the Caribbean.

England lead the series 1-0, after winning a shortened opening game in Guyana last week.

With the outlook similarly poor for the next two games in St Lucia, the tourists could claim their first ever series win away to West Indies.

The conclusion to the series in Barbados on 5 May could also be affected after persistent rain on the holiday island for the last week.

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Coach Duncan Fletcher was frustrated by England's fifth abandoned one-day match of the winter, including two in Sri Lanka before Christmas.

"The whole winter has been washed out so we haven't learned much," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"We've heard St Lucia is a bit drier but this weather is moving north and it is raining hard in Barbados.

"There is a lot of rain around but hopefully we'll get some cricket in."

Umpires Darrell Hair and Eddie Nicholls made an early inspection of Grenada's Queens Park ground and quickly ruled out the prospect of any play because of a waterlogged outfield and persistent rain.

Tight schedules mean none of the lost games can be rescheduled.

"England are already committed to another tour and the chances of matches being replayed are zero," said WICB marketing executive Darren Millien.

"England have to leave the Caribbean. They are hosting us and they are hosting New Zealand in their summer."