Travis Head strikes fifty for Sussex before rain ends Kent clash early as bad weather wrecks One-Day Cup

Sussex Sharks and Kent Spitfires are still looking for their first win in the Royal London Cup after playing four matches apiece. 

Their Group A match at the 1st Central County Ground at Hove was abandoned in surreal circumstances with the Kent innings still 4.2 overs short of constituting a match. Both sides took a point each. Sussex vs Kent scorecard

There were 34.4 overs of cricket, which was something of a miracle with the rain and very strong winds, with the floodlights burning brightly in the gloom. A 29-over game was scheduled, with Kent deciding to field first.

Sussex scored a slightly disappointing 209-7. The highlight of their innings was a stand of 63 in eight overs between Travis Head (52), who made his third fifty of the campaign, and Ben Brown, with an inventive 38 from 29 deliveries in his first appearance in the competition this season.

Despite a late flurry of strokes from David Wiese, who made 31 from 23 balls, the Sussex score did not look enough. And that feeling was strengthened when Kent captain Ollie Robinson and former Sussex academy player Tawanda Muyeye hit 48 from their first five overs.

But then came the heaviest rain of the day and the umpires had no alternative but to call the game off with Kent still short of batting the 10 overs that would have made a match.

The outcome means that Sussex and Kent have each lost two games and had two abandoned and both counties face an uphill struggle to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Only 5.3 overs were possible at the Kia Oval before the Group 1 match between Surrey and Northamptonshire was abandoned due to regular bursts of heavy showers. Surrey vs Northamptonshire scorecard

Morning rain meant play did not begin until 1.15pm, with the contest initially reduced to 34 overs per side, and Northants scored 31-1 before more rain drove the players off at 1.40pm.

All that then followed for a sizeable crowd of more than 3,000 was a long afternoon of frustration as the Oval groundstaff worked hard between the showers to make conditions fit for a resumption.

Ricardo Vasconcelos, who produced two sumptuous extra cover driven fours off Rikki Clarke and Matt Dunn, was the Northants wicket to fall - well-held above his head at third man by Dan Moriarty for 17 after the left-handed opener deliberately uppercut Conor McKerr's fourth ball in the fifth over.

Northants, still looking for their first group-stage win after two no results and one defeat from their first three fixtures, are next at home to Derbyshire on Sunday while Surrey - who won both their first two matches - take on Glamorgan at Cardiff on Tuesday.

Rain wrecked Nottinghamshire's match against Somerset at the John Fretwell Sporting Complex, home of Welbeck Cricket Club in the north of the county. Nottinghamshire vs Somerset scorecard

After Somerset won the toss and chose to field, play began at the scheduled time but the players were forced from the field after just over an hour and a quarter, with Nottinghamshire 92-2 from 21 overs and persistent showers meant no further cricket was possible.

Nottinghamshire lost Sol Budinger in the second over when the young opener hit Ben Green straight to mid-on and captain Peter Trego's hopes of doing some damage against his former team proved to be short-lived as he found himself on the wrong end of an lbw verdict against Sonny Baker.

But Ben Slater (42) and Matthew Montgomery (31) took the score to 50-2 at the end of the Powerplay and had added 69 in 14.4 overs when the weather closed in.

Middlesex's search for a first win in the competition goes on after their game with Hampshire at Radlett was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Heavy intermittent showers throughout the morning delayed the start before further bursts of rain in the early afternoon left umpires Peter Hartley and Ian Ramage with no alternative but to abandon the match following a 2:45pm inspection.

Middlesex picked up their first point of the competition, while Hampshire now have three points from as many games.

Derbyshire and Glamorgan were also frustrated by the weather which prevented any play at Derby.

The prospect of there being any action always looked slim after heavy rain in the morning, plus further showers, prevented the game starting at the scheduled 11am start, although the toss took place with Derbyshire electing to field.

It was hoped conditions would improve enough for the umpires to inspect at 2.30pm, but more rain fell during the lunch interval resulting in the match being abandoned.

Both teams take a point for a no result, Derbyshire's first in the competition after three defeats. Glamorgan now have five points from four matches.