The West Indies were again left frustrated as rain ended any hopes of some important practice ahead of next week's third Test against England.

The second day of their two-day game against Leicestershire at Grace Road was abandoned on Sunday morning without a ball being bowled.

The washout followed a curtailed first day that was reduced to just 50 overs, from which the tourists scored 150 for three.

Darren Bravo, who made 66 and Adrian Barath, unbeaten on 53, showed welcome signs of a return to form, but there were failures again for both Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards, leaving the West Indies with selection problems at the top of the order.

Opener Powell's top score in his four Test innings so far is 33, while Edwards has failed to reach double figures in any of his eight innings on the tour so far and he was out for his fourth duck against Leicestershire. Powell made nine.

West Indies coach, Ottis Gibson, also has to decide who will come in for fast bowler Kemar Roach for the Test, which begins on Thursday.

Roach has been sent home because of a shin injury and 'mystery' spinner Sunil Narine, absent from the first Two Tests due to Indian Premier League commitments, was due to arrive today as his replacement. The indications are that he could well play at Edgbaston.

But it was a bleak scene that greeted the tourists when they arrived at Grace Road to collect their kit before heading off to Birmingham.

Heavy rain throughout the night had left the ground saturated and with the rain forecast to continue for the rest of the day, umpires Mark Benson and Russell Evans, abandoned the match half an hour before the scheduled start.