ESSEX coach Paul Grayson is desperate that his side’s clash with Yorkshire in Scarborough tomorrow goes ahead after their second match in a row was washed out today.

After Friday night’s One-Day Cup match against Gloucestershire at Chelmsford was abandoned after just 11 overs, today’s match at Derbyshire in the same competition followed suit, this time without a ball being hit sent down in anger.

Heavy rain throughout the morning in Derby left the outfield saturated and, with little chance of any improvement in the weather, umpires Nigel Cowley and Peter Willey called off the Group A match at 10.10am, 20 minutes before the scheduled start.

It means Essex stay third in the Group A table and Grayson thinks his side will have to win two of their remaining three games to make the quarter-finals.

He said: “It doesn't help either team because Derbyshire wanted to play and we wanted to play and now we’ve got a big game at Scarborough tomorrow.

“We might have to win two out of the last three games to go through (to the quarter-finals.) It was the sensible decision by the umpires. It was like a bog out there and two experienced umpires made an early call.

“Derbyshire fancy their chances of qualifying as we do, they’ve found nice form in this competition and we played very well against Lancashire at Chelmsford. I think nine points should get you through in the top four and although we’ve got three tough games, everyone seems to be beating everyone else in this division.

“We just hope we get better weather at Scarborough.”

As well as tomorrow’s clash with Yorkshire, Essex host Hampshire on Wednesday before a trip to Northants next week.