MIDDLESEX’S first victory in any form of cricket this campaign came unexpectedly. Even they did not think 254 was a defendable total against Hampshire’s powerful batting on what is a notoriously fastscoring ground, but a morale-boosting win that might kick-start their season could be traced to some brilliant fielding and catching.

The loss of early wickets meant that this was never going to be a routine run chase for Hampshire, but Kevin Pietersen appeared to be winning the game while cruising to 43 off 51 balls. He had signalled his intent with two thunderous straight sixes off Melvyn Betts and Chris Silverwood, but when Betts bowled a wide down the leg side, Pietersen dragged his back foot and Ben Scott, standing up, whipped off the bails with some expert glovework.

Michael Carberry and Dimitri Mascarenhas then took Hampshire to 194 for six in the 41st over, when the latter clipped Jamie Dalrymple towards the deep mid-wicket boundary. Johann Louw, who had to make a lot of ground to his left, did exceptionally well to hold on to a diving catch.

Carberry was still a real danger to Middlesex, but in the next over, his full-blooded slash at Silverwood was magnificently caught at backward point, one-handed at shoulder height, by a diving Ed Smith. Two sixes in one over from Silverwood by Shaun Udal brought Hampshire back into contention, however, but now Ben Hutton, with a fine diving stop and throw from a horizontal position, ran out Jamie Bruce. Udal, who scored 32 off 25 balls, took the target down to 14 off the last over, but was yorked by Chad Keegan.

Middlesex, put in to bat on a bright but cloudy morning, lost two wickets off successive balls from Bruce in the fourth over, but recovered thanks to some superb strokeplay from Smith. The former England batsman charged to fifty off 36 balls, playing effortlessly through the off side and using his feet to decisive effect against bowling of variable quality. By the time that Owais Shah played round a straight one to be third out in the sixteenth over, 99 were on the board.

Smith had reached 88 off 64 balls with 14 fours when Udal’s quicker ball trapped him on the back foot. When Shane Warne, who had delayed his entry into the attack, deceived Dalrymple, Middlesex were perilously placed at 124 for five in the 24th over. Two calm heads in Ed Joyce and Hutton halted the decline with a sensible sixth-wicket stand of 74 in 15 overs. Scott played well at the death for his unbeaten 33, made from 35 balls, to give Middlesex something to bowl at.