Damage to the Banks Home Riverside caused by Storm Dave was likened to a "war scene" and meant there was no play between Durham and Kent on day three of their Rothesay County Championship clash.
Covers shielding the pitch were blown away from the square, with one ending up in the stands, exposing the wicket to heavy overnight rain, while scaffolding supporting a sightscreen had also fallen over.
The Chester-le-Street ground was closed to spectators for safety reasons and re-opened at lunchtime, but one end of the pitch was deemed too damp following a 3.40pm inspection by the umpires.
Assessing the situation as Durham’s ground staff began the clear up, visiting head coach Adam Hollioake told BBC Kent Sport: "It looks like a war scene.
"There's been quite a substantial amount of water getting on to the wicket so that's probably the one thing which is actually affecting the start more than anything.
"You can play cricket without sightscreens and club cricketers all around the country do it every weekend, but at the moment there's a big patch of water that's blown off the covers on to the wicket, which is going to make it hard for us to start today."
Storm Dave brought rain and snow plus gale-force winds to parts of the UK, with yellow warnings for areas in northern England, Scotland and Wales.
Durham, strongly fancied for promotion after being relegated on the final day of Division One last year, were in control at the halfway point of their season-opening match.
Emilio Gay's century underpinned their first-innings 335 and Kent were skittled for 197, with Matthew Potts and Kemar Roach taking three wickets each, before Durham went to stumps on Saturday on 83 for two and a lead of 221.
Hollioake added: “We knew when the fixtures came out (starting on) April 3, basically up in Scotland, sorry if I’m offending anyone, it was obviously going to be hard coming up here. It’s cold, early season and they’re a good side.
"There’s a bit of pressure on them now because in their mind, they’ll be feeling they're on top of the game, and now they're going to have to make a decision on how they’re going to get those points. They might have to make a declaration at some stage (on Monday), so let’s see what they come up with."
In Southampton, Essex claimed the first win of the season as Hampshire lost 17 wickets in a day to capitulate to an innings-and-137-run defeat at the Utilita Bowl.
Asked to follow-on after being all out for 156 in response to Essex's 461 for seven declared, Hampshire collapsed from 119 for three to 168 all out to get their season off to a false start.
Mason Crane might have put himself back in the conversation for England with a standout five-wicket haul for Glamorgan against a Yorkshire side missing captain Jonny Bairstow in Cardiff.
Crane made his lone Test appearance in the 2017/18 Ashes before falling off the radar, but there is a big question mark over who will be England's spinner against New Zealand and Pakistan this summer.
The wrist-spinner, who made 51 with the bat on Saturday, may now be considered a bolter after running through Yorkshire's line-up on day three of their Rothesay County Championship Division One clash.
Bairstow was substituted before play began because of a thumb injury he suffered in the field, replaced by William Luxton, who was one of four batters in Yorkshire's top-six to be snared by Crane.
All four dismissals were either lbw or bowled, including a peach to befuddle George Hill, with the ball pitching outside leg and turning viciously past the defensive poke to clip the top of off-stump.
Crane's five for 55 saw the White Rose dismissed for 226 and Glamorgan went to stumps on 111 for three - with opener Asa Tribe lbw to off-spinner Dom Bess for 19 - for a lead of 187.
England hopeful James Rew's unbeaten 108 allied to 94 not out from Tom Kohler-Cadmore carried Somerset to a 223-run lead against defending champions Nottinghamshire at Taunton.
Rew, contending for the wicketkeeper-batter spot currently held by Surrey's Jamie Smith, made his 12th first-class century in just his 58th match from the number three spot in Somerset's 214 for one.
Smith, meanwhile, might have shored up his position with 51 not out as Surrey look to avoid defeat against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Dan Mousley's 144 and Sam Hain's 94 underpinned Warwickshire's 544 before Surrey closed on 169 for three, still trailing by 47 but with Smith still there following alongside Dan Lawrence.
PA
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