Just 27 deliveries were possible in the last two days

Lancashire were left still waiting for their first result of the season after rain forced their match against Essex to be abandoned.

After the third day at Old Trafford was completely washed out, just 27 deliveries were possible on the final day.

Umpires John Holder and Barry Leadbeater finally called a halt at 1600BST.

In the time available, Lancashire managed to take one more Essex wicket, reducing the visitors to 42-3 - still 118 runs short of avoiding an innings defeat.

With his first ball of the day, Glen Chapple had Andy Flower, on 16, trying to leave alone a delivery bouncing just outside off stump only to deflect it onto his leg stump.

The visitors had struggled from the start of the match, after James Anderson's hat-trick took out their top order.

But Essex coach Graham Gooch, who took the field as a substitute on the second day, insisted defeat for his side had not been a formality.

"It may have been only a slim chance of victory for us, because we would have needed to bat really well and get a lead of 150," he admitted.

"If we had done that we would have had an outside chance."

Lancashire: A J Swann, I J Sutcliffe, M B Loye, S G Law, M J Chilton, C L Hooper, G Chapple, W K Hegg (Capt, Wkt), P J Martin, J M Anderson, G Keedy.

Essex: D D J Robinson, W I Jefferson, R C Irani (Capt), N Hussain, A P Grayson, J S Foster (Wkt), A Flower, G R Napier, J D Middlebrook, S A Brant, J B Grant.