Essex's hopes of recording their second Cricinfo Championship win of the season were washed away by the rain. They were within 56 runs of their target of 206 with eight wickets still standing when the match was abandoned at 4.40pm following a succession of showers, and then prolonged heavy rain wiped out any play after lunch.

At the start of play, the home side required a further 144 runs to win and condemn Surrey to their first defeat in the competition for 12 months.

Overnight batsmen Richard Clinton and Stuart Law continued to dominate proceedings with the free-flowing Australian well-supported by debutant Clinton and both batsmen reached deserved half-centuries.

The first rain interruption came after just 15 deliveries but during that time, Ian Salisbury, who had delivered the first over of the day, was dispatched for 14 runs all from the bat of Clinton.

That forced the removal of the leg-spinner from the attack but the Essex innings continued its momentum when play resumed after a short interruption with the stylish Law reaching a classy half-century with his ninth boundary.

Equally untroubled, Clinton also reached his maiden fifty with a straight drive to the boundary although he did survive the only chance of the day when he edged Martin Bicknell to slip with his score on 41 but Mark Butcher dropped a difficult chance.

Law and Clinton appeared to be moving inexorably towards the target having put on an unbroken second-wicket partnership of 118 that had raised the 150 with a bizarre incident. Gary Butcher, fielding at cover, threw down the stumps at the non-striker's end where Law had made his ground as the ball ricocheted to the boundary.

That was to be virtually the last action of the day as rain sent the players scurrying to an early lunch ten minutes before the scheduled interval time and what was to prove the conclusion of the match. Essex take nine points and Surrey seven.

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