Sussex and Derbyshire were frustrated by rain which prevented any play on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match at Derby.
No play was possible before lunch and after further showers the umpires took the inevitable decision after an inspection at 2.20pm.
Sussex came into the match under a different sort of cloud after they were docked 12 points.
The sanction came after a fourth fixed penalty of the season which also resulted in a one-game suspension for captain Cheteshwar Pujara.
The penalty has effectively ended their hopes of overhauling Worcestershire to take the second promotion place in Division Two.
If they had an outside chance, the weather may have away their remaining hopes.
Derbyshire will be keen for conditions to improve to give them a chance of ending an unenviable record in the County Championship at Derby.
They have not won a first-class game at their Incora Ground headquarters since September 2019 when they beat Sussex inside three days.