The Hampshire Hawks were knocked out of the Twenty20 Cup first round for the fourth time in five seasons last night.

A second abandonment, this time against the Essex Eagles at Chelmsford, and the Sussex Sharks' five-run victory in a five-over match against the Surrey Lions at the Brit Oval, meant the Hawks have no chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

With one game remaining, Hampshire are bottom of the South division and face group leaders Sussex at Hove this evening (5pm) with nothing to play for.

It is an ingnominious way to finish a Twenty20 Cup campaign that began with high expectations a fortnight ago.

However, since the dramatic tie in the first game against the Kent Spitfires, the Hawks have not played a full Twenty20 game because of the rain.

And losing Dimitri Mascarenhas, their captain for the Twenty 20 Cup, so unexpectedly to England after the first two games has not helped.

But the Hawks have not adapted well and the weather has affected every other county, especially those in the North division (Leicestershire and Derbyshire have suffered four abandonments).

If the Hawks had won at Essex last night, they would still have had a chance, albeit a slim one, of sneaking into the quarter- finals as one of the two best third-placed sides.

Knowing it was win or bust, they began with purpose in front of a partisan Chelmsford crowd.

Former Hawks star Andy Bichel took an outstanding 1-9 from his three overs after Nic Pothas had decided to bat in the wet conditions.

Bichel trapped Adam Voges (4) lbw in the penultimate appearance of the Western Australian's brief stint but Sean Ervine (28 from 32 balls), Chris Benham (41 from 31 balls) and Michael Carberry's unbeaten 21 (18 balls) took Hampshire to 107-5 from 16 overs before the rains came.