TYPICAL. This was the hat-trick that the Rose Bowl did not want.

The abandonments of New Zealand v West Indies and Hampshire's only floodlit home match of the season were bad enough.

But, two months after rain saw off the Natwest Series clash between the Kiwis and the Windies, and six weeks after Hampshire's day-night match against Surrey was abandoned without a ball being bowled, it was England's turn to suffer.

At least there was some play for the record 16,000 crowd. And at least there is a reserve day.

England were due to resume on 118 for 3 this morning after play was abandoned with just 32 overs bowled.

But yesterday the Rose Bowl looked a sorry sight on one of the wettest days of the year.

Umbrellas went up all round the ground before midday and did not come down.

Rod Bransgrove described the scenes as "gutwrenching".

"It was heartbreaking for everyone to get halfway through what looked like a scintillating match, only to be denied by the weather," said the Hampshire chairman.

"We're all a little bit down at the moment. What we wanted to do was show how well we could host an England match and everyone was having a really good time.

"There isn't a seat in the ground that doesn't have an unobstructed view and we were raring to go.

"It was just building up to something, the game was just starting to get into a swing, 'Freddie' was starting to attack the bowlers a bit and it was looking like an exciting conclusion."

At least the reserve day enables everyone with a ticket for this match to return forfree today.

A second day crowd of around 5,000 was the early estimate.

"We don't really know exactly how many are going to come for the reserve day which is a pretty big headache. There are quite a few logistics involved in getting a game like this together for one day," added Bransgrove, who took some positives from the disappointment.

"There's nothing we could have done better. We had a hiccup with the park and ride last Saturday but we've had buses going back and forth all day.

"The coach companies reported that it took 25 minutes to get to the ground from the park and ride and that's more than tolerable.

"I gather there were some delays westbound from Sussex but we can't be repsonsible for accidents on the M27.

"I think we've succeeded in making access to the ground better."

All the Rose Bowl now needs is the sort of weather that blessed the the ground's first one-day international, when azure skies greeted Zimbabwe and South Africa 14 months ago. But rain is always likely to threaten when cricket is played in England during September.