Nick Compton made an unbeaten but vain 52 for Middlesex as their top-of-the-table Pro 40 Division Two match against Lancashire at Lord's was cut short by heavy rain.

The match had to be abandoned, after the league leaders had posted 112 for three from 26.1 overs.

Both teams take one point, an outcome which leaves Shaun Udal's side one ahead of second-placed Kent - having played two games more than their nearest rivals.

Compton hit five stylish boundaries in his 80-ball innings and had taken his season's average in this competition to 114.3 when the rain set in.

Lancashire's Sajid Mahmood returned to first-team action for the first time since August 4 and proved that he had recovered from his intercostal injury by removing both Dawid Malan and Neil Dexter in an impressive opening spell.

But John Simpson, a wicketkeeeper-batsman who learned much of his cricket at Old Trafford before signing a two-year deal with Middlesex in 2008, helped Compton repair the innings with a fluent third-wicket partnership of 52 in 13 overs.

Simpson was deceived in the flight by slow left-armer Stephen Parry and stumped by Gareth Cross, his one-time rival for a wicketkeeper's job at Lancashire.

Compton and Gareth Berg then added 32 for the fourth wicket.