THE washed-out game against Glamorgan leaves Derbyshire with no more margin for error if they are to force their way into the LV County Championship promotion picture.

Having said before this game that he feels Derbyshire needed to win two of their last three Division Two matches if they were to challenge for a place in the top two, head of cricket John Morris knows his team must now beat both Gloucestershire at home and Leicestershire away to be in with a chance.

No play was possible on the final day of the match against Glamorgan yesterday because of rain but, with almost four of a possible nine sessions in the game already lost to the weather, a positive conclusion looked unlikely anyway.

Morris must now hope for kinder weather later this month to give Derbyshire the chance of the two wins they need but if that happens, he said he is still confident of beating both opponents.

"I think we are capable of winning both those games and yes, we probably do need to win them both now," he said.

"It's been another terrible year for county cricket weather-wise and, coming into September, we were always going to have the problem of bad weather at this time of year.

"It's still disappointing because this was a game we were targeting as one of those we wanted to win. The weather has taken a hand but that happens – we move on to Gloucestershire on September 17."

Derbyshire have 11 days to prepare for the visit of bottom club Gloucestershire, during which time they have only two Pro40 League matches – against Glamorgan at Cardiff on Monday and at home against Warwickshire next Saturday.