With the help of two valuable partnerships, Gloucestershire, having decided to make first use of a slow pitch at Lord's, were able to end the rain-affected first day's play, in which 44 overs were lost, on an impressive 198 for two.

Dominic Hewson's chanceless innings of 77 in just over three hours contained a full range of strokes which brought him 11 boundaries from the 156 balls that he faced.

Along with the veteran Kim Barnett he put on 88 and then for the second wicket he featured in an 82-run stand with Matt Windows. The two stands were similarly paced with the first taking 23.1 overs and the second 24.1.

Having suffered their first Cricinfo Championship defeat of the season last week at the hands of Sussex at Hove, Middlesex were made to struggle for most of the day.

The first of the two wickets that they claimed came in the penultimate over of the morning session which was shortened by 34 minutes owing to rain.

Tim Bloomfield, whose first spell of three overs cost 24, struck with his first ball when he was brought back into the attack. Barnett, 38, driving firmly to mid-wicket, was held low by Robin Weston.

At lunch Gloucestershire were 94 for one with Hewson 45 not out. He reached his third Championship half-century of the season flicking Angus Fraser for four to backward square leg and in the next over he pulled Bloomfield to the mid-wicket boundary.

In partnership with Windows he batted more fluently, having taken 13 off an over from Bloomfield, he followed it with ten off Phil Tufnell. It contained a stylish cover drive, off the book foot, and then a lofted straight drive for four which took him to 67.

After Hewson's unfortunate run out, from a deflection by bowler Tufnell, Windows reached his fifty from 95 balls shortly after the 150 had come up with him hitting two boundaries, to cover, in an over from Chad Keegan.

At stumps he was unbeaten on 52 and Ian Harvey was on 14.

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