Sussex head to the Oval tonight with a chance of reaching the knockout stages of the Twenty20 Cup.

However, they could be forgiven for wishing the competition was all over for another season.

Only two of their seven south division games so far have not been rain affected and they were forced to kick their heels in the dressing room for the second night running at Canterbury last night.

The Sharks would have fancied their chances of beating group whipping boys Kent, who had lost all six of their previous matches, but just 11 overs in 40 minutes were possible before the rain swept in with the home side 91-1.

Umpires Vanburn Holder and Nigel Cowley abandoned the match at 7.30pm and Sussex had to settle for a point for the third time in the group.

It was a miracle a crowd of around 5,000 saw as much play as they did.

The start was delayed for 45 minutes and the contest reduced to 15 overs aside but Sussex bowled half of those overs in pouring rain.

The umpires consulted three times before reluctantly calling a halt, just after off-spinner Mark Davis had lost control of the wet ball and seen it disappear into the crowd as Michael Carberry slogged a full toss for the only six of the match.

Director of cricket Peter Moores said: "If you are going to be critical in any way then we were probably out there too long.

"To be fair to the umpires they gave it a go for as long as possible but for the last four overs it was sweeping rain and when the ball slipped out of Davo's hand and went for six that was the signal. The players gave it a go but it got ridiculous in the end."

The only wicket which fell was taken by Mushtaq Ahmed when Kent captain Matthew Walker became his 12th victim of the tournament so far. The leg-spinner will remember Twenty20 in 2005 even if none of his team-mates do not.

Walker was superbly caught by Davis running - or rather sliding - in from the point boundary off a top-edged reverse sweep after putting on 50 with South African all-rounder Andrew Hall in eight overs.

Only two players have taken more wickets than Mushtaq in Tweny20 this season and it was no surprise when Chris Adams used him to apply the brakes after his three main seamers had conceded 40 runs in the first six overs.

Hall smacked two of his eight boundaries in Rana Naved's first over but both batsmen struggled desperately against Mushtaq whose economy rate of just over five runs an over is outstanding in Twenty20 terms.

Davis, too, started well but his third over went for 15 as Carberry struck two boundaries after Hall had cleared the rope.

There have now been nine no results in the south division with Sussex and Hampshire affected three times. In contrast, every game in the north group has been concluded. Work that one out.

Now Sussex head to the Oval tonight hoping, if nothing else, for a break from the weather.

July 6, 2005