Worcestershire suffered more weather frustration as lengthy stretches of rain on the final day meant their LV = County Championship match with Surrey at the Kia Oval was doomed to finish as a draw.
Only 41 overs in three short sessions were possible on the final day as Surrey, who followed on 270 runs behind, closed on 240-5 with former Worcestershire player Steve Davies hitting 77.
Promotion-chasing Worcestershire collected 12 points from the game to consolidate second position in Division Two behind Hampshire who visit New Road for a top of the table clash starting on Sunday.
But they will be left to reflect once again on what might have been before the elements intervened.
Worcestershire have won their three home matches but all four away fixtures with Hampshire, Glamorgan, Kent and now Surrey have been severely curtailed when in the driving seat.
They outplayed Surrey in all departments, scoring consistently down the batting order and then bowling in the disciplined fashion which has been their trademark this season as they gained maximum bowling points for the seventh successive match.
Play got underway at 1.10pm after the loss of the morning session through rain with Surrey resuming on 111-3 – a deficit of 159 with 72 overs remaining.
Only 4.3 overs were possible before another downpour led to a 25 minute delay and the loss of six more overs.
Charlie Morris made the first breakthrough of the day when Zafar Ansari on 62 was deceived by a deliberate slower ball and lobbed a simple catch to Saeed Ajmal at mid on with the total on 136.
Ansari, who had scored an unbeaten 77 in the first innings, had added 77 in 34 overs with Steve Davies.
Davies, who left Worcestershire five years ago, reached his 50 with his eighth boundary off 108 balls.
Worcestershire continued to probe away under increasingly leaden skies and almost inevitably the rain returned in greater volumes than before with the total on 173-4 off 67 overs.
The players came out for a final 20 overs at 4.45pm and Moeen Ali had Davies caught behind by keeper Ben Cox attempting to cut after adding 66 with Jason Roy.
The second new ball was taken as a last throw of the dice by the visitors but Surrey survived and the two teams shook hands with three overs remaining.
Now the county will look to put their disappointment behind them in the NatWest T20 Blast double header with Leicestershire Foxes at Grace Road on Friday and Durham Jets at New Road on Saturday (2.30pm start).
