Following two days of frustration under rain-filled skies, a further gloom descended on Colchester's Castle Park when Essex finally got their LV County Championship clash with Leicestershire under way this morning.

Just 12 balls had been bowled by the visitors in the opening two days as bad light and wet had scuppered any chance of play at the annual Colchester Festival when Essex openers Varun Chopra and Mark Pettini had put four runs on the board.

Play was finally possible this morning, however, Essex hadn't put any extra runs on the board when Chopra was caught by Leicestershire's Jim Allenby.

Ironically the wicket came off the bowling of David Masters, who signed a three-year deal this week to play with Essex from next season.

And things didn't improve as the hosts lost three more wickets in rapid succession as their hopes of winning the game, to bolster their division two promotion push, faded.

Grant Flower was next back to the pavillion, with just 11 on the board, after he was cleaned bowled by Jerome Taylor and Essex skipper Pettini fell in exactly the same circumstances soon after as his side slumped to 28 for three.

Things got even worse when Masters accounted for his second victim of the opening 45 minutes when he had Tim Phillips caught behind by Paul Nixon.