A sterling innings from Robin Weston which spanned six hours and brought him an unbeaten maiden century for Middlesex, enabled his side to finish just 24 runs behind Hampshire's impressive first innings of 404.

Playing in only his second Championship match this season for Middlesex, whom he joined last year, he was in commanding form and guided even the lower order batsmen in adding valuable runs. His ninth-wicket stand with Angus Fraser yielded 56 runs after 34 had been added for the seventh with Simon Cook.

Weston, who had three previous first-class centuries, with Derbyshire in 1999 - one of which happened to be against Middlesex - faced 300 balls, 14 of which he hit to the boundary during his superb knock of 135.

His record-breaking partnership for the sixth wicket with David Nash greatly consolidated the innings, comfortably removing the threat of follow-on which still hung over Middlesex, with 86 required, when play began on this third morming.

In the process, they went past the Middlesex record against Hampshire which had stood since 1926 when Patsy Hendren and F.T. Mann had an unbroken 115-run stand at Lord's.

Earlier, resuming on 169 for five, Weston and Nash added 112 this morning, taking their stand to 157, before Hampshire were able to get the breakthrough. It eventually came only four overs before lunch which was taken on 300 for six, 104 runs behind Hampshire.

Weston and Nash had batted with confidence throughout the morning, playing their shots freely and Nash reached his third half-century of the season three overs before the second new ball was taken in the 101st. over.

He was finally dismissed in the fourth new-ball over, leg before wicket to Alex Morris for a spirited 77 which included ten boundaries.

Weston was on 97 at the end of the morning session having played a more cautious innings, although he did play several attractive strokes. A beautiful square-cut for four off Giles White took him into the seventies and later, with three boundaries, two to extra cover and one to long off, in one over from Chris Tremlett, he went into the nineties.

Late in the day, Hampshire, in their second innings, had a little over an hour's batting, with heavy rain causing a loss of 96 minutes play in mid-afternoon. The visitors, on 61 without loss, have an overall lead of 85.

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