New South Wales all but waved goodbye to any hopes of gaining a finals berth with a rain-saturated day scuttling hopes of first innings points against Victoria in their Pura Cup match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.

The start of play was held back until 1.20pm because of the weather, but when proceedings finally got underway, New South Wales resumed their first innings on 3/111, with Mark Higgs (26) and Stuart Clark (13) at the crease. Higgs quickly set about making some runs, with a beautiful six to deep extra cover, showing some well placed footwork in the process. For a few overs, as the sun shone, it appeared the Blues were going to stage a valiant effort to regain some ground, and had it not been for the rain, they may well have succeeded. Higgs was placing the ball around the ground with the precision batting that helped him to 181* last week against the Bulls.

However, New South Wales did not figure on a determined Victoria. The Bushrangers did not waste much time taking some wickets, and the first wicket of the day fell to an in-form John Davison, who sent down a well-placed delivery to nightwatchman Stuart Clark (13) and was caught out, nudging an easy ball straight to Brad Hodge.

Unfortunately Higgs' good form was short-lived and he was caught out just as he looked to be settling in. He tried to put a way a full toss from Cameron White, but ended up being caught by a leaping Matthew Elliott in first slip.

Michael Clarke (46*) pulled out some superb shots in the early part of the session, with three boundaries off one of White's overs, injecting the ball down through a tiny gap to point. The over saw some average balls from the seventeen year-old leg-spinner, who has showed he has some impressive form capabilities, but on this occasion Clarke was too good.

New South Wales struggled past the 200-run mark at 3.01pm, but one minute and one run later the heavens opened, play eventually being abandoned for the day with the score 5/201.

Blues skipper Shane Lee (13*) will be praying for a miracle tonight and Victorian skipper Paul Reiffel will have his fingers crossed for a day of sunshine and enough time to take out five New South Wales wickets.

If this match is a total washout and New South Wales gains first innings points in Queensland next week, then the Blues will overtake Victoria on the table, thus making the final. However, the contingent factors are rain washing out tomorrow - which will stop Victoria gaining any points this week - and with the Blues defeating Queensland on a Bulls home turf, both factors have doubtful chances at best, but not totally impossible.

Stumps were finally drawn at 5.45pm and an early start is planned tomorrow, for 10.30am.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd