Sussex must be wondering if they are ever going to get a break from the weather this season.

The county have already lost more days of Championship cricket than any of their rivals and their hopes of a first ever appearance in the knockout stages of the Twenty20 Cup are hanging by a thread after a near washout at Hove last night.

Middlesex managed just seven overs of their innings after Owais Shah had won the toss and had reached 56-1 when another downpour swept in and deposited its contents on a stoical crowd of more than 4,000.

Umpires Graham Burgess and Barrie Duddleston called the game off at 8.25pm, by which time most of the crowd had already left anyway.

Four of Sussex's six games in the south division including three of their four home matches have now been rain-affected and, although it has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of the spectators or Sussex's bank manager for Twenty20 cricket, it has done a lot of damage to their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

Sussex's best hope now is to qualify as one of the two third-placed teams with the best record. That means beating south division whipping boys Kent at Canterbury tonight (5.30pm) and then toppling Surrey in their own backyard at the Oval tomorrow.

Skipper Chris Adams said: "We know the scenario now. We have to win both games and then there is a two-thirds chance that we could qualify as one of the third-placed teams. At least it makes it simple."

The one consolation for Sussex fans last night was a first glimpse of new overseas signing Rana Naved.

The Pakistani opened the bowling from the sea end and might have been wondering what he had let himself in for when Ed Smith flat-batted his fourth ball to the extra cover boundary as his opening over disappeared for nine runs.

But Rana, mixing his pace cleverly, conceded just two singles in his next and although Middlesex collected two further boundaries in his third over - which cost 15 - the new man clearly relished the atmosphere and a pitch with some pace, even though it is the same one which has been used for all four Twenty20 home games.

James Kirtley raised the biggest cheer of the night when Smith was caught behind off an upper-cut in the fourth over but the rain returned just after 7pm after two balls of the sixth over with Middlesex 52-1.

They were back out again 55 minutes later but there was only enough time to complete the over before the next - and this time terminal - cloudburst.

Director of cricket Peter Moores said: "It's very frustrating because apart from the game at Chelmsford against Essex, I don't think we have done a lot wrong in Twenty20 this season.

"It would be great to win tonight because that would set up a fantastic last match at the Oval in front of a big crowd and a great atmosphere, but we need a bit of luck with the weather."