ESSEX hopes of clinching the Pro40 Division Two title at Edgbaston were dashed when persistent and heavy rain washed out the match with Warwickshire.

The game was called off at 10.30am with the outfield totally saturated and with the prospect of more rain set to fall for much of the day.

Both sides took a point from the match and that was sufficient to guarantee Essex at least third place in the table at the end of the season.

That would give them a promotion play-off match against the team finishing third from bottom in Division One.

Now the county, who top the table by two points over Kent, must travel to Canterbury to face their old adversaries next Saturday for a match that could decide the automatic promotion positions as both teams conclude their scheduled Pro40 League programme.

Victory for Essex will see them crown-ed champions to add to their Friends Provident Trophy success and would enhance their reputation as the leading one-day team in the country.

Yorkshire are currently in third place, three points adrift of Essex although they do have a game in hand.

They are due to host Warwickshire tomorrow and then they travel to meet Northamptonshire at Wantage Road on Saturday.

Victories in both games together with defeat for Essex against Kent would give the Tykes the title, leaving Essex a play-off match to determine their Pro40 status in 2009.