In what appeared as a topsy-tervy game, with both sides holding the advantage at various points over the four days, it was Middlesex's batsmen who kept their nerve to pull of their second consecutive run chase at the Walker ground. Wickets fell at regular intervals during the innings, although half centuries from Ed Smith and Owais Shah (who scored 60 apiece) gave us the perfect platform, with the pair sharing a second wicket stand of 94.

Hampshire will certainly feel hard done by, given their excellent recovery during the final session of the first day's play. With a slight rain interuption in the morning session, you cound say that Shane Warne was making up for lost time with his 101 off just 82 balls, but it was far more crucial than just a bit of fun. Not only was it crucial, but it gave Warne a second first class century- just weeks after scoring the first ton that he had waited all his career for. It'S just like the old buses saying...

Warne led his side from the front with the century, taking then from 189-7 to 355 all out, ensurig that any poor deliveries were well punished. He was particularly brutal at the very begining of the final session, where some crisp strokes off Styris' short bowling allowed him to double his score in one over! Warne wasn't the only man that worked hard during that day though- John Crawley's 62 was enough to keep some sort of order within the frontline batsmen.

Hampshire were eventually bowled out- with Peploe, Styris and Betts each taking three wickets. Middlesex then lost Ed Smith early, but some gusty batting from Ben Hutton and some more orthodox cricket from Ed Joyce saw the 'sex to 144-2 before both gave their wickets away with mistimed pull shots. Middlesex began to lose their way in light of the dismissals, but Jamie Dalrymple's solid 62 made sure that the first innings deficit was much smaller than it could have been. The all rounder then continued where he left off when Hampshire came back for their second innings.

Dalrymple's four wickets, together with Peploe's three left Hampshire in a real spin, with too many batsmen not capitalising on getting their eye in. Bowling the visitors out for 192 was a credible effort and left Middlesex chasing a gettable, albeit dodgy, target of 276 for victory.

We did it too- even if we nearly missed out, we still secured the most important thing- victory! Smith and Shah laid the foundations, but it is Weekes to whom most of the credit will go, with the old hand keeping his head to hit Warne for the winning four.

Barmy Kev's report of the final day: