Richard Montgomerie's 31st birthday celebrations last night must have been a rather muted affair after the Sussex opener was run out for the second successive game.

Montgomerie was beaten by Will Kendall's brilliant pick-up and direct hit from cover as Sussex struggled in the 45 minutes of play which were possible on the first day of the Championship match against Hampshire at soggy West End.

The county also lost Murray Goodwin, reaching 30-2 in 10.3 overs before the heavens opened again.

Overnight rain prevented any play until 3pm and proceedings were abandoned for the day a couple of hours later. Poor Montgomerie doubtless wish they had never started.

Hampshire, who began the contest in fourth, a place and four points better off than Sussex, made the ideal start by removing Goodwin in Alan Mullally's second over.

The former England left-armer produced a brute of a ball, which climbed and left Goodwin off a good length who touched it to first slip.

Montgomerie took a boundary off Mullally in his first over but made the fatal mistake of taking on Kendall's arm. On Saturday against Yorkshire Richard Dawson was his nemesis. Both times he made ten.

There were some uncomfortable moments for Chris Adams and Michael Yardy as the clouds gathered again, but the pitch does not appear to hold too many terrors for the batsmen.