New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming made no bones of the fact that he was going to play county cricket with the expressed intention of learning how to score centuries.

He's wasted little time in getting his first first-class century since New Zealand's tour to India late in 1999. On that occasion he scored 115 not out and on New Zealand's tour to South Africa last summer he got close, dismissed for 99.

But, in his adopted county Middlesex's CricInfo Championship match with Gloucestershire in Bristol, Fleming helped Middlesex home for their first outright win in seven matches.

He scored 121 not out as Gloucestershire set Middlesex a target of 293 in 82 overs.

While two early wickets were lost, Fleming played himself in and anchored two significant partnerships.

The first, for the third wicket, with Owais Shah realised 95 runs while the second, with Ben Hutton, saw 129 runs posted for the fourth wicket.

When the win occurred, with 3.1 overs to spare, Fleming was 121 not out, scored from 206 balls and including 16 fours.

The century rounded out a good game for Fleming as his 52 helped right what was shaping as a disastrous first innings for Middlesex.

After three matches in the championship, Fleming has now scored 218 runs at an average of 72.66, second on the averages in the second division.

Meanwhile, Fleming's New Zealand team-mate Mathew Sinclair had another prolific day for his Cleethorpes league club in Yorkshire in one of the side's big games of the season against Sheffield Collegiate.

Batting first, Cleethorpes scored 292/4 with Sinclair hitting 199 not out. His fourth century in four innings.

But in good batting conditions Sheffield were able to score 293/6 with two balls of the match remaining.

© CricInfo