Worcestershire were restricted to 185-9 on the opening day of the LV = County Championship Division One clash with Sussex at New Road.
Opener Brett D'Oliveira (38) and Joe Clarke (40) put on 80 for the third wicket and Alex Gidman was unbeaten on 37 when play was brought to a premature close at 5pm after a torrential downpour.
But the remainder of the batsmen struggled against the impressive Chris Jordan (5-57) and some of the shot selection was not ideal after skipper Daryl Mitchell won the toss and chose to bat on a used wicket.
Fit again England paceman Chris Jordan took the new ball and dismissed Mitchell (5) with Sussex skipper Chris Nash holding the chance at first slip after Michael Yardy at second had parried the ball.
Worcestershire's leading LV = CC run-getter Tom Fell (6) was bowled by a delivery of full length by Jordan.
D'Oliveira and teenager Clarke dug in for the reminder of the morning session to lead a partial recovery.
Clarke straight drove Jordan for four and D'Oliveira turned the same bowler off his legs to the boundary.
A fine cover-drive by D'Oliveira at Chris Liddle's expense brought up the 50 stand in 19 overs.
The third wicket pair continued to accumulate effectively in the initial pre-lunch session with Clarke and D'Olivieria both taking a boundary off the returning Jordan.
But the paceman ended the partnership after it had added 80 in 32 overs by bowling Clarke (40).
Former Worcestershire paceman Steve Magoffin claimed his first wicket when D'Oliveira, after showing great determination, went for a pull shot and gloved through to keeper Ben Brown when on 38.
Jordan enjoyed a further success when the in-form Ross Whiteley (4) snicked through to Yardy at second slip and then he completed a five wicket haul as Ben Cox (4) shouldered arms and was bowled.
Joe Leach (7) was caught behind off Chris Liddle and then Jack Shantry, after adding 25 in seven overs with Gidman, fell to Jordan at first slip from a Ollie Robinson delivery after making 15.
Gidman and Saeed Ajmal provided some useful resistance in adding 37 in 13 overs before the latter, in the final appearance of his current spell with the County, was bowled for 22 after slog sweeping at Ashar Zaidi.
Shorty afterwards the heavens opened and left umpires Neil Mallender and Steven Gale with no choice but to call play off for the day.
Then an hour after play was abandoned a tremendous storm left New Road awash with massive swathes of water and resulted in traffic chaos outside the ground as only one lane was passable.
