Tour match, Chelmsford (day three):
Essex 263, 175-3 v West Indies 146
Match drawn

The Windies will hope for better weather at Derby for the Lions match on Saturday

West Indies were denied the chance of extra batting practice ahead of the Test series when the final day of the tour match with Essex was abandoned.

No play was possible because of heavy rain in the morning at Chelmsford and play was called off in the lunch break.

The tourists, who were bowled out for 146, have only one more three-day match against England Lions on Saturday before the first Test on 6 May.

In addition to two Tests, the Windies will play three one-day internationals.

Coach John Dyson is confident his team will learn from their disappointing batting performance, in which only the dependable Shivnarine Chanderpaul (66 not out) passed 20.

"I thought we batted poorly except for Shiv," he said. "He just bats and bats. The other batsmen are very inexperienced in these sorts of conditions and they wasted their opportunity here to get some good time in the middle.

"They have hopefully learned a good lesson here about how to handle these conditions."

Meanwhile fast bowler Jerome Taylor is due to arrive in England on Monday and is set to play against the Lions to prepare for the opening Test at Lord's.

"We expect him to be fully fit," Dyson confirmed. "The reports from the West Indies say that and we expect him to play at Derby."

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